International Circulation:  Finally， in your opinion， will a salt-lowering diet benefit the treatment and prevention of hypertension since we have salt， aldosterone， and the renin-angiotensin systems interrelatedness?

Ernesto Schiffrin:  Indeed， they are all related and there is no doubt that patients who have cardiovascular related conditions， be it hypertension， heart failure， or other conditions， there is a need to restrict salt intake.  Everyone in the world eats too much salt.  We need to reduce salt in prepared foods and reduce the total amount of salt ingested daily to very little salt， on the order of 2g or salt.  We all eat too much salt.  There is no doubt that， particularly people who are salt sensitive， for example the elderly， lowering salt ingestion helps dramatically to control blood pressure much more successfully that without salt restriction.  Limiting salt intake is a very critical approach to lifestyle and management of cardiovascular and kidney disease.  If we were able to reduce the salt as I indicated we would reduce the blood pressure of the population by a few mmHg and morbidity and mortality produced by cardiovascular disease in the general population would be dramatically reduced.