A study from Kyungpook National University Hospital in South Korea found that regular salt consumption increases the risk of atrial fibrillation (AF), an irregular heart rhythm disorder linked to potential heart clots, by 22% compared to those who never or seldom use salt.

Lead author Yoon Jung Park of Kyungpook National University Hospital said, "Our study indicates that lower frequency of adding salt to foods was associated with lower risk of AF.”

The team examined data from 395,682 British people aged 40 to 70 who were followed for 11 years for the study, which was presented at the European Society of Cardiology conference in Amsterdam last week.

The findings also suggest that switching from always adding salt to "usually" adding salt reduced the risk of AF by 12%.

Prof James Leiper of the British Heart Foundation said,

“It’s well known that eating too much salt can lead to health problems, including high blood pressure. As well as increasing your risk of having a heart attack or stroke, high blood pressure can also cause damage to your heart and this in turn can cause atrial fibrillation.”

Excessive salt, primarily from table salt (sodium chloride) and condiments like sodium glutamate, remains the top dietary risk for health despite being an essential nutrient.

In March, the World Health Organization (WHO) called for extensive salt reduction efforts to reduce the risks of heart disease, stroke, and cancer. According to their global report, the world is falling short of the 30% sodium intake reduction target by 2025. Only 5% of countries have comprehensive mandatory sodium reduction policies in place, while 73%, including India, do not.

According to the WHO, cost-effective sodium reduction could save approximately seven million lives worldwide by 2030.