A patient with weight gain, a sedentary lifestyle and moderate alcohol use asks for advice to reduce cardiovascular risk. Which dietary change is most appropriate?

• A. Aim for less than 6 g of salt in your diet per day
• B. Avoid all dairy products
• C. Increase saturated fat intake to 30% of daily calories
• D. Limit water intake to 1 litre per day

Answer: (A)

Reducing sodium intake to lower blood pressure is a practical, evidence-based step to cut cardiovascular risk, especially in someone who is overweight and physically inactive. Lower salt helps reduce blood pressure, and since high blood pressure is a major contributor to heart disease and stroke, dialing down salt intake provides a direct, achievable way to lessen overall cardiovascular risk. The suggested target of less than 6 g of salt per day aligns with common guidance to limit salt intake and can be implemented by choosing fewer processed foods, avoiding added salt, and reading labels.

Avoiding all dairy isn’t needed for heart risk reduction and could lead to missing important nutrients; dairy can fit into a heart-healthy pattern, especially if you choose lower-fat options. Increasing saturated fat intake would raise LDL cholesterol and worsen cardiovascular risk rather than improve it. Limiting water intake has no meaningful role in reducing cardiovascular risk and could cause dehydration. Focusing on reducing salt delivers the clearest, evidence-backed benefit for blood pressure and heart disease risk in this context.