Then there are the counterexamples. My grandma ate like pig (as a kid, I couldn't even tolerate the smell of some foods she enjoyed), was fat for most of her life, her blood lipids were all over the place, she never exercised and died of cancer aged 90 with negligible levels of atherosclerosis. Something in her genetic(?) makeup protected her from the consequences.
We like to think that everyone is the same, but the more that people research this stuff the more complex it seems to be.
Her cholesterol was something like 9,5, often exceeding 10. She also smoked for 30 years, but stopped around 65 years of age.
Theoretically, her arteries should have been clogged like crazy. They weren't.
Salt is an essential nutrient. Hypertension does increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, but eating salt doesn't necessarily cause hypertension. The issue is with osmolality rather than quantity. (And genetics area huge factor.)
Of course for optimal health people shouldn't just run as their only form of exercise. Ideally it should be combined with frequent weight training and other forms of cross training in order to gain muscle and avoid overuse injuries.
