Sodium Restriction Guidelines

CDC's Frieden says new regulations on sodium content might be necessary.
Bloomberg News (3/2, Peterson) reports that US "adults consume an estimated 3,900 milligrams of sodium per day -- more than twice the maximum recommended by US government dietary guidelines, according to a Stanford University study published in the" Annals of Internal Medicine (AIM). Bloomberg adds, "'Substantial changes' in food production are needed to improve Americans' health by reducing salt consumption," Thomas Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "said in an editorial published in the" AIM.
Reuters (3/2, Steenhuysen) reports that Frieden wrote, "If cooperation is not voluntary, new regulations on sodium content of processed and prepared foods might be necessary."
HealthDay (3/1, Gardner) reported that the AIM study found that "a combined government-industry initiative to reduce US sodium consumption by as little as 10 percent would save thousands of lives and billions of dollars." According to Dr. John Bisognano, president of the New York Chapter of the American College of Cardiology, "Even if you're trying your best at home to restrict salt intake, one can of really good soup or one trip to the buffet at a restaurant and you've exceeded the recommendation." And, for individuals "with chronic kidney disease or heart failure, such an unintended spree could also mean a trip to the emergency room, he said." HeartWire (3/1, Nainggolan) also covered the story.