Low potassium linked to high blood pressure

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - In a multi-ethnic population-based group of 3,303 adults, half of whom were African American, a low potassium level in the urine correlated with high blood pressure, regardless of the level of salt (sodium) in the diet or cardiovascular risk factors.

This observation "supports the hypothesis that dietary potassium deficiency plays an important role in the development of high blood pressure," Dr. Susan Hedayati, of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, told Reuters Health.

"The association was stronger in African Americans than non-African Americans," which suggests possible racial differences in the development of high blood pressure, also referred to as hypertension, and its relationship with to potassium levels in the diet, added Hedayati, who reported the findings over the weekend at the American Society of Nephrology's annual meeting in Philadelphia.

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