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A reduction in salt intake reduces blood pressure, stroke and other cardiovascular events, including chronic kidney disease, by as much as 23% (i.e. 1.25 million deaths worldwide). It is effective in both genders, any age, ethnic group, and in high-, medium- and low-income countries. Population salt reduction programmes are both feasible and effective (preventive imperative). Salt reduction programmes are cost-saving in all settings (high-, middle- and low-income countries) (economic imperative). Public health policies are powerful, rapid, equitable and cost-saving (political imperative). The important shift in public health has not occurred without obstinate opposition from organizations concerned primarily with the profits deriving from population high salt intake and less with public health benefits. A key component of the denial strategy is misinformation (with 'pseudo' controversies). In general, poor science has been used to create uncertainty and to support inaction. This paper summarizes the evidence in favour of a global salt reduction strategy and analyses the peddling of well-worn myths behind the false controversies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Dietary salt intake has been linked to hypertension and cardiovascular disease through volume-mediated effects. Accumulating evidence points to direct negative influence of salt intake independent of volume overload, such as cardiac and renal fibrosis, mediated through transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β). Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) has been implicated as a key process in chronic fibrotic diseases, such as chronic kidney disease or heart failure. The potential role of dietary salt intake on cell transdifferentiation has never been investigated. This study analysed the effect of dietary salt intake on EMT and fibrosis in the peritoneal membrane (PM) in a rat model. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]