Do people who restrict salt have lower rates of heart attacks?

Actually, a recent study found that Americans who consumed the currently-recommended 2,300 mg/day of sodium had a 37 percent higher chance of dying from heart attacks. Researchers from Albert Einstein Medical School analyzed the Second United States National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and found that evidence linking sodium intake to mortality outcomes is scant and inconsistent (American Journal of Medicine, March 2006).

The results are surprising because a high-salt diet can cause some people to develop high blood pressure, which increases a person