 People struggling with elevated sodium or low potassium levels may be at risk for hypertension, which increases the risk of heart disease and stroke.International studies covering hundreds of thousands of people estimate that the number of deaths that can be attributed to excessive sodium intake reaches at least 1.65 million people a year.Hypertension, strokes, heart attacks, stomach cancer, and osteoporosis are some of the severe health effects and complications resulting from excessive intake of traditional salt (sodium chloride).