An overview of salt intake reduction efforts in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are the leading causes of premature death in the 21st century, and represent a threat to human health and economic growth (1). Currently, 39 million people die each year from NCDs, principally, cardiovascular disease (CVD), cancers, chronic respiratory disease, and diabetes. The main risk factor for the global disease burden is raised blood pressure and is estimated to cause 9.4 million deaths each year. This is more than half the estimated 17 million annual deaths caused by CVD (1,2)