New data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides additional scientific evidence that the majority of Americans age 20 and over should limit the amount of sodium (salt) they consume daily to 1,500 milligrams to prevent and reduce high blood pressure.

The data is published in the March 26 issue of the center's Mortality and Morbidity Weekly Report.

The data also showed that 60 percent of adults are salt sensitive.

The U.S. food supply contains excessive amounts of salt, which makes limiting sodium consumption difficult. According to the report, Americans age 2 and up consumed a daily average of 3,436 mg from 2005 to 2006, up from a daily average of 3,329 mg from 2001 to 2002.

The American Heart Association is working with federal agencies to identify strategies to reduce the amount of sodium in the food supply and is encouraging food manufacturers and restaurants to reduce the salt added to food by 50 percent over the next 10 years.

In 2006, the American Heart Association acknowledged that a daily upper limit of 1,500 mg is a good therapeutic goal to strive for to prevent and treat high blood pressure, but also suggested an interim goal of no more than 2,300 mg a day of sodium because the food supply makes it difficult to achieve the lower number.

High salt diets have been linked to an increase in blood pressure and an increased risk for a number of cardiovascular diseases, including heart disease and stroke.

Some facts about high blood pressure:

•High blood pressure (HBP or hypertension) is defined as a reading of 140/90 or higher.

•One in three adults in the United States has high blood pressure, but because there are no symptoms, nearly one-third of these people don't know they have it.

•Uncontrolled high blood pressure can lead to stroke, heart attack, heart failure or kidney failure.

•Most of the sodium in the U.S. diet comes from processed foods, so consumers should be careful to read the Nutrition Facts Panel.

•1,500 mg of sodium is between one-half and three-quarters of a teaspoon of salt. One teaspoon of salt equals about 2,300 mg of sodium.