Legislation introducing mandatory salt limits on bread and meats is needed to reduce the risk of heart disease, according to the Irish Heart Foundation (IHF).
In a summary report published today Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease, the IHF said “little meaningful action has been taken in Ireland to truly address the key drivers of a leading cause of death and disability”.
“The vast majority of premature cardiovascular disease is preventable,” it said.
According to the report, cardiovascular disease is responsible for 26.5% of all deaths in Ireland as of 2021.
The IHF said a “radical new approach to preventing chronic disease would save thousands of lives each year”.
It recommended introducing legislation on the salt content of processed food to reduce the population’s exposure to dietary salt and high blood pressure.
It said “upstream” preventative measures such as salt limits and smoke-free legislation are more effective than health education targeted at individual lifestyle choices.
'Bold policy initiatives'
The report also recommended the Department of Health and the HSE introduce cardiovascular disease prevention targets and the Government to introduce “food taxes and subsidies” to promote healthier diets.
The report’s author, UCC Professor Ivan Kerry, said without “bold policy initiatives”, Ireland can expect “continued and increased deaths and ill health driven by risk factors”.
The five core risk factors for cardiovascular disease, he said, are smoking, physical inactivity, poor diet, obesity and excessive alcohol consumption.
'Illness service rather than a health service'
The IHF also recommended greater investment in Ireland’s public health and the introduction of a new national cardiovascular policy.
IHF Health Director Janis Morrisey said Ireland has an “illness service rather than a health service”.
“Chronic diseases, which share common risk factors, account for 40% of hospital admissions and 75% of bed days, yet these conditions are largely preventable,” she said.
“We need to change the narrative away from hospitals and waiting lists, and away from campaigns that focus on individual behaviours and so-called lifestyle choices.”
