A member of the Lake Urumia Revival Committee in an interview last week claimed that the lake’s salt particles presence in the air can cause an increase in blood pressure among people living close to the salt lake.
However, Dr. Tahereh Samavat, head of cardiovascular diseases department at the Health Ministry, refuted the claim. “Officials should consult experts before making such remarks,” she said.
Lake Urumia is a salt lake in northwestern Iran. It is located between the provinces of East Azarbaijan and West Azarbaijan. The lake faces the danger of drying up due to lack of rainfall and therefore the area around the lake is vulnerable to salt storms, IRNA reported.
Salt intake should be significantly high to increase blood pressure. Admitting that salt consumption by Iranians is several times higher than global standards (2.3 to 2.5 grams each day) which can cause high BP, she said, “But I have never heard that people get high BP by salt inhalation. It doesn’t seem logical. Nevertheless, I have asked Tabriz University of Medical Sciences to investigate.”
At present 20% of the country’s population over the age of 15 suffer high blood pressure, while 50% are unaware of their condition.
