56% of Italians monitor the quantity of salt consumed at the table, during meal preparation, and when consuming preserved goods. Almost eight out of ten individuals (76%) prefer to use iodized salt. The data are part of the "Surveillance Steps" programme of the Istituto Superiore di Sanità for the years 2020 and 2021. The analysis reveals a substantial cardiovascular risk, which is also linked to the intake of salt in the diet: 41% of the questioned sample has at least three cardiovascular risk factors, and only 2% is not exposed to any recognized risk conditions. The conscious use of salt is more prevalent among women (61% vs. 50% among men), elderly individuals (64% among 50-69 year olds vs. 45% among 18-34 year olds), and Italian nationals (56% vs. 51% among foreigners). Education also plays a role: individuals with a higher level of education, especially university graduates, pay more attention to their salt intake. The Northern Regions pay more attention to salt consumption than the Southern Regions (62% versus 51%). The use of medical advice, on the other hand, is still quite uncommon and is typically targeted at limiting the damage. Only one in four (25%) of those who have visited a doctor or other healthcare provider in the past year say they have been counseled on how much salt to include in their diet; this number rises to 56% for those with hypertension or kidney failure, but these percentages do not improve over time.
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