title: Cost-effectiveness analysis of salt reduction policies to reduce coronary heart disease in Syria, 2010-2020.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study presents a cost-effectiveness analysis of salt reduction policies to lower coronary heart disease in Syria.
  
  
  METHODS
  Costs and benefits of a health promotion campaign about salt reduction (HP); labeling of salt content on packaged foods (L); reformulation of salt content within packaged foods (R); and combinations of the three were estimated over a 10-year time frame. Policies were deemed cost-effective if their cost-effectiveness ratios were below the region's established threshold of $38,997 purchasing power parity (PPP). Sensitivity analysis was conducted to account for the uncertainty in the reduction of salt intake.
  
  
  RESULTS
  HP, L, and R+HP+L were cost-saving using the best estimates. The remaining policies were cost-effective (CERs: R=$5,453 PPP/LYG; R+HP=$2,201 PPP/LYG; R+L=$2,125 PPP/LYG). R+HP+L provided the largest benefit with net savings using the best and maximum estimates, while R+L was cost-effective with the lowest marginal cost using the minimum estimates.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrated that all policies were cost-saving or cost effective, with the combination of reformulation plus labeling and a comprehensive policy involving all three approaches being the most promising salt reduction strategies to reduce CHD mortality in Syria.
authors: Department of Epidemiology, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA, mwilc003@fiu.edu.
authors: Meredith L
authors: ML
authors: Wilcox
authors: Helen
authors: H
authors: Mason
authors: Fouad M
authors: FM
authors: Fouad
authors: Samer
authors: S
authors: Rastam
authors: Radwan
authors: R
authors: al Ali
authors: Timothy F
authors: TF
authors: Page
authors: Simon
authors: S
authors: Capewell
authors: Martin
authors: M
authors: O'Flaherty
authors: Wasim
authors: W
authors: Maziak
mesh_terms: D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D005515:Food Labeling; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000191:economics* / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D057766:Policy; D019057:Quality-Adjusted Life Years; D012982:Sodium, Dietary / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D013593:Syria
chemical_list: D012982:Sodium, Dietary