J Am Diet Assoc
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It is not known whether salt intake decreases over time in the same population. This study attempts to describe salt intake for 8 years according to age groups, and examines whether salt intake changes over time in community-dwelling middle-aged and elderly Japanese subjects. ⋯ Absolute salt intake was decreased among all age groups from 40 to 70 years in men and from 70 to 79 years in women. An increased focus on reducing energy intake resulted in only a modest decrease in salt intake. Although we observed a decline, salt intake still exceeded recommended levels. Efforts that focus on salt reduction are needed to address this important public health problem.