Uncle Zhang, 63, has suffered from high blood pressure for many years and has consistently taken his medication, keeping his blood pressure well-controlled.
However, recently he has found it hard to muster energy; he has dozed off several times while sitting, and has even reduced his long-standing post-meal walks.
“Could it be that I’ve reached an age where my body is starting to decline?” Uncle Zhang thinks to himself.
Finally, after family persuasion, he went to the hospital for a check-up and discovered that it wasn’t just aging and physical weakness, but a potassium deficiency. After a detailed inquiry, the doctor determined that this was related to Uncle Zhang’s long-term use of diuretic antihypertensive medication and advised him to pay attention to potassium supplementation.
1. Why should people with high blood pressure supplement potassium moderately?
For high blood pressure patients, the main focus often revolves around how to lower blood pressure or which medications to use, but few are aware that long-term use of antihypertensive drugs can lead to a potassium deficiency!
Professor Zhang Dongying from the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University states that clinical data shows that the incidence of low potassium levels in hypertension patients ranges from 19% to 54%. This phenomenon is mainly related to the use of diuretics such as furosemide and hydrochlorothiazide.
Additionally, there is a type of secondary hypertension patients who are also known as primary aldosteronism, which can also present with low potassium levels. Furthermore, the traditional high-salt diet and insufficient fruit and vegetable intake among the people also contribute to potassium loss.
The reason potassium is crucial is that it is the most abundant cation inside cells, while sodium is the most abundant cation outside cells.
They maintain a balance that allows cells to function normally. For instance, in regulating vascular tension and heartbeats, potassium and sodium complement each other.
However, since both potassium and sodium are excreted through the kidneys, when there is a deficiency of potassium in the body, the kidneys will retain more sodium, leading to an increase in sodium levels that raises blood pressure. On the other hand, supplementing potassium can help excrete excess sodium from the body, better controlling blood pressure.
Data indicates that increasing potassium intake can lower normal blood pressure by an average of 1.8/10 mmHg and reduce blood pressure in hypertensive patients by 4.4/2.5 mmHg.
Even the stroke, which is a major concern for hypertension patients, can see a 21% decrease in incidence simply by consuming 2g of potassium daily. For our population, increasing potassium intake is beneficial for blood pressure control, especially for hypertensive patients, who must pay attention to potassium intake.
2. Five signs in the body that indicate a warning for potassium deficiency
Potassium is one of the essential nutrients for the body, with approximately 98% of potassium ions found inside cells; the normal serum potassium concentration is between 3.5 and 5.5 mmol/L.
Director of the Endocrinology Department at Wuhan First Hospital, Dr. Gao Mingsong, indicates that sufficient potassium ions are necessary to maintain functions such as heartbeats, neuromuscular activities, and respiration.
Once the potassium ion concentration in the body is less than 3.5 mmol/L, it can be diagnosed as hypokalemia, and these five symptoms may indicate a potassium deficiency.
Physical fatigue: A lack of potassium can cause dysfunction in neuromuscular cells, leading to weakness in the limbs. In severe cases, individuals may feel weakness in their feet, significantly affecting normal walking.
Arrhythmia: Potassium is crucial for regulating heart function; potassium deficiency can lead to arrhythmias, with patients often experiencing palpitations and irregular heartbeats.
Breathing difficulties: A deficiency in potassium can prevent muscles from contracting and relaxing properly, which may also cause abnormal spasms, including in the respiratory muscles, leading to breathing difficulties.
Cramps: Potassium is very important for the connection between nerves and muscles; a lack of potassium can lead to abnormal cramps and spasms in muscles, resulting in noticeable pain.
Restlessness: Potassium deficiency can also trigger a series of abnormalities.
