Stroke, Heart Disease: Salt Substitutes May Prevent Millions of Deaths

Huang said that some people with advanced chronic kidney disease should avoid potassium-enriched salt.

When the kidneys don’t work well, the body may not clear extra potassium efficiently, she said. That can lead to hyperkalemia, or high potassium levels in the blood, which can raise the risk of cardiac arrest, Huang said.

Among people with stage 3 to stage 5 kidney disease, switching to salt substitutes could prevent about 750,000 deaths a year by lowering blood pressure and cause about 100,000 deaths a year from hyperkalemia, the researchers estimated.

The AHA said that people with kidney disease or who take medications that affect potassium should check with a healthcare professional before using these products.