While lowering your sodium intake can help lower your blood pressure, it may also reduce your risk of heart disease in general, according to researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. In a study of more than 3,000 people, researchers found that people with borderline-high blood pressure who reduced their sodium intake by 25 to 35 percent also reduced their risk of total cardiovascular disease by 25 percent – and the lowered risk lasted for 10 to 15 years.