Potassium and Blood Pressure

Potassium and Blood Pressure
The role of potassium in lowering blood pressure has received less attention until recently.

International comparisons of blood pressure and potassium intake, have shown that a higher potassium intake appears to be associated with a lower prevalence of hypertension.

It is also probable that a low potassium intake has an independent effect on stroke mortality, which is separate from the effect of blood pressure.

Sodium and potassium cannot easily be considered separately, and when assessing their effects, potassium it is probably best to examine dietary or urinary sodium/potassium ratios.

It is interesting to note that in the USA, where hypertension is common in blacks, there are virtually no differences in sodium intake or urinary sodium excretion between blacks and whites but there are marked differences in potassium intake and excretion.

Black people tend to consume lower quantities of potassium rich foods which are usually of high quality and expensive.

This may explain partly some of the social and economic factors causing racial differences in blood pressure.
Potassium and Blood Pressure