Day 266 - 20 Jun 96 - Page 18


     
     1        summaries as matter of course in my job, yes.
     2
     3   Q.   Right.  You might not be able to recite the exact figures?
     4        A.  That is right.
     5
     6   Q.   But in terms of the kind of difference that could be made
     7        by cutting the sodium in the diet and the reduction in
     8        heart disease would you agree with what is written there,
     9        that it would be basically a substantial reduction, there
    10        could be a substantial reduction, in mortality?
    11        A.   That paper is quite an important paper that has come
    12        out.  I believe it received quite a bit of publicity.  The
    13        reason it is important is because of the number of
    14        countries involved to produce the evidence, 32 countries
    15        worldwide.  So, it is a big study looking at evidence from
    16        lots and lots of different populations but the change in it
    17        is that some people used to say that reducing salt would
    18        only help some parts of the population whereas this study
    19        is saying that a reduction in salt would be beneficial to
    20        the whole population and therefore--
    21
    22   MR. JUSTICE BELL:   Which is the study?
    23        A.   This study referred to in the BMJ.
    24
    25   MR. MORRIS:  The intersalt study.
    26
    27   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  I cannot read the letter.  Is it a 3?  I am
    28        on page 1285.
    29        A.   Yes, and I am looking at the two bits just referred
    30        to, the paragraph starting at the conclusion, page 1,252.
    31        That paragraph was read out.  That bottom paragraph, there.
    32
    33   MR. MORRIS:  There is a little figure after 'heart disease'
    34        which is an 8.
    35
    36   MS. STEEL:  Yes, this part is actually from a different study
    37        but in terms of the--
    38
    39   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Is it not a 3, and that is the reference back
    40        to the paper which started on 1259, the intersalt?
    41
    42   MR. MORRIS:  I think it is an 8, but it could be a 3.
    43
    44   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Well, as a 1 and then a 3.
    45
    46   MS. STEEL:  I see, yes.
    47
    48   MR. MORRIS:  Yes, that is true.
    49
    50   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  That is below, and 3 is the 'intersalt
    51        revisited', the association with a difference in the
    52        incidence of stroke. 
    53
    54   MS. STEEL:  The reference for the 34 per cent and the 21 per
    55        cent is 8, which is McMann and Peto, blood pressure and
    56        coronary heart disease.
    57
    58   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Yes.  Now what I was wanting to establish is
    59        which are you saying is the significant study?  It is one
    60        which is the third reference, 'Elliott and others,

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