Thank you, Madam Chair.
I think you have received my comments in both English and French and they've been distributed to committee members.
As Madam Chair has indicated, I'm from the Public Health Agency of Canada. Working with my health portfolio colleagues, we share a common objective--that is, reducing sodium in Canada's food supply and supporting the health of Canadians.
I'd like to stress in my comments today the health impacts that we know result from excessive sodium consumption and highlight some of the statistics and research that has been done, as we have a very well-developed body of research in Canada and internationally to draw on to help us understand this complex problem. As my colleagues have already indicated, it truly is a complex problem that will require us to use multiple levers and multiple partnerships in order to reach our goals.
Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death and disability in Canada. Elevated blood pressure is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and the most powerful predictor of stroke and heart failure. Elevated blood pressure has been identified by the World Health Organization as the leading risk factor for premature death in the world.
Nine in ten Canadians will develop hypertension if they live an average lifespan. Preventing or delaying the development of elevated blood pressure by reducing the population's average blood pressure is an important way of reducing the health consequences and costs associated with cardiovascular diseases. We know that high dietary sodium increases blood pressure, which poses a health risk.
Sodium consumption over 2,300 milligrams a day has been shown to have an immediate as well as a long-term effect on blood pressure and cardiovascular outcomes. We know that societies that consume low levels of sodium have modest or no increase in blood pressure over time.
There is a direct and progressive relationship between the amount of sodium we take in and the increase in our blood pressure. The increase in blood pressure is most evident among those who have a cardiovascular disease or who have one or more cardiovascular disease risk factors, which include hypertension, obesity and diabetes.
Most deaths attributable to elevated blood pressure actually occur in those with blood pressure levels in the upper half of the normal range; that is, 130 over 85. There is also evidence that lower sodium intake in childhood results in lower blood pressure later in life. In children and adults alike, a modest reduction in salt intake has been shown to have a considerable effect on lowering blood pressure.
Research on high sodium intake in animals and in humans has demonstrated that, besides its indirect effect on the cardiovascular system through an increase in blood pressure, it has a direct effect on the heart and blood vessels. These studies have shown an immediate increase in the stiffness of blood vessels and their changed ability to react to stress. Further, we know that research on the cost-effectiveness of interventions tells us that sodium reduction is the most cost-effective way of reducing the burden of cardiovascular disease.
A recent study that we conducted at the Public Health Agency has shown that a gradual annual reduction of sodium intake by 10% could result in close to 30,000 fewer cardiovascular events and a cost savings of about $330 million over 10 years.
Another Canadian study from 2007 has shown that a reduction of 1,800 milligrams in sodium intake could potentially decrease the prevalence of hypertension by 30%, resulting in over a million people not needing hypertensive medication and an annual direct cost savings of about $430 million. High sodium intake is also associated with non-cardiovascular diseases such as the development or severity of asthma, stomach cancer, obesity, renal stones, and osteoporosis.
I'd like to stress that we have programs and initiatives in place in the country that, along with the efforts that are currently being directed at sodium reduction in the food supply, are necessary for us to fix and maintain Canadians' attention on this important health problem. The Canadian hypertension education program plays a significant role in increasing professional and public understanding of the impact of sodium on health.
Thank you.