The study, conducted by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, focused on research showing that a diet high in salt and low in potassium is risky.
Researchers examined the long-term effects of sodium and potassium intake as part of a 15-year study involving more than 12,000 people.
By the end of the study period, 2,270 participants had died. Of these deaths, 825 were due to heart disease, while 433 were due to blood clots.
The findings of the CDC team contradict a controversial study that found no evidence that reducing salt intake reduces the risk of heart disease and premature death.
New York City Health Commissioner Thomas Farley, who is leading a campaign to reduce salt in restaurants and packaged foods by 25% over five years, called this study the best to date on the long-term effects of excessive salt intake.
Most health experts agree with Farley that excessive salt consumption is detrimental to health, and that reducing salt intake can lower high blood pressure, which increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes.