Cost-effectiveness of a government policy to reduce sodium intake

A recent study by Webb et al published in The BMJ modelled the effects and costs of a government policy that combines targeted industry agreements and public education to reduce sodium intake in 183 countries.

Intervention costs for each country were assessed using the WHO-CHOICE (CHOosing Interventions that are Cost-Effective) database, while country-specific effects on mortality and disability adjusted life years (DALYs) were modelled using comparative risk assessment. The study also evaluated a range of intervention effectiveness including 10%, 30%, 0.5g/day and 1.5g/day reductions in sodium intake over 10 years.

Analyses showed that modest reductions in sodium intake (10% or 0.5g/day) were highly cost-effective even without accounting for potential healthcare savings, and achieving larger targets (30% or 1.5g/day) would be more cost-effective.

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