Hypertension is the most important preventable and controllable risk factor for cardiovascular disease, and maintaining healthy blood pressure levels over the long term can effectively prevent the development of cardiovascular disease. Some studies have found an association between dietary sodium intake and hypertension, cardiovascular disease mortality and disease burden. The possible mechanisms are as follows: When the body consumes too much sodium chloride over a long period of time, the sodium ions in the extracellular fluid increase and will surge into the intracellular fluid under the pressure of the difference in concentration between the extracellular and intracellular fluid, and the cells gradually become swollen. The swelling of the cells also induces an increase in the responsiveness of the walls of the small arteries to the vasoconstrictive hormones in the blood, and thus predisposes to vasoconstriction spasm of the small arteries. Once the blood vessels are in spasm, their flexibility and ductility become weaker, which directly leads to an increase in the resistance of small arteries throughout the body and consequently an increase in blood pressure; after the concentration of extracellular fluid increases, the body will mobilize more water into the extracellular fluid in order to dilute it, so that the concentration goes down, but it will inevitably cause water and sodium retention – an increase in blood volume, return blood volume, ventricular filling and output also increase. Previous clinical trials have shown that reducing sodium intake can lower blood pressure. The sodium intake of our population is generally high (10.5 g/d on average), especially in the northern part of the country, and is much higher than the recommended amount by WHO (5 g sodium/d) or the Chinese Nutrition Society (6 g sodium/d). As a cardiovascular clinician, patients should be encouraged to implement salt reduction measures, reduce the salt used in cooking, purchase foods with low salt content, and eat as little or as much high-salt food as possible. Patients should understand that even if sodium intake does not immediately reach the recommended level, long-term efforts to gradually reduce sodium intake can effectively reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Observational studies have also found that not only is sodium intake associated with cardiovascular disease, but also that dietary potassium intake and sodium/potassium ratio are negatively associated with stroke mortality. Intervention studies in the elderly population have also found that consumption of potassium-containing salts reduces the risk of cardiovascular mortality. Therefore, while reducing sodium intake is recommended for patients, encouraging increased dietary potassium intake, especially of naturally potassium-rich foods, has been shown to have beneficial effects on cardiovascular disease prevention. Potassium-rich foods are mostly fruits and vegetables, which provide both vitamins and fiber needed for health. As the old saying goes, disease enters through the mouth. For your cardiovascular health, it is important to eat a light diet, limit sodium and supplement with potassium to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and continue to live a healthy life.