31 Oct 2024 • According to a new modeling study, implementing WHO's sodium benchmarks for packaged foods in India could prevent a projected 4.2 million deaths from cardiovascular and chronic kidney diseases over a lifetime.

• Compliance with these guidelines would avert 14 million cardiovascular events and nearly 5 million new chronic kidney disease cases.
• By reducing sodium intake through packaged foods, this approach is projected to save up to $0.8 million in healthcare costs in the first decade alone.
• This shift could also generate an estimated 1 billion health-adjusted life-years (HALYs), with a 100% likelihood of cost-effectiveness.

With India's increasing consumption of packaged foods, the findings argue for a strong policy push to adopt WHO’s sodium benchmarks, projecting significant health gains and financial savings across the population.

Source: Lancet | Read full story