A new study has revealed that reducing the tobacco and salt intake could prevent many non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as heart disease, stroke and diabetes. The NCDs cannot be transmitted from one person to another by direct contact and are acquired over a period of time. NCDs have become a major public health concern and are the cause of two out of every three deaths worldwide.

The main reason behind the occurrence of these disease are said to be improper diet intake, lack of physical activity and unhealthy lifestyle. High intake of fat, salt and sugar and excessive consumption of alcohol also increases the risk of these diseases.

Experts suggest that reducing the consumption of salt only by 15% can prevent an estimated 8.5 million deaths over a 10-year period. The intake of salt should be reduced to less than 5g per person, by 2050 so that the incidences of these NCDs could also be decreased.

The reduce in tobacco intake should be according to the existing guidelines of Convention on Tobacco Control. Achieving the targeted levels could prevent at least 5.5 million premature deaths over a period of 10 years.