Low potassium linked to high blood pressure

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Does the following make sense?

http://www.discount-vitamins-herbs.net/n-800-blood-pressure_potassium.htm

Low Potassium Linked to High Blood Pressure

As a risk factor for high blood pressure, low levels of potassium in the diet

may be as important as high levels of sodium—especially among African Americans,

according to research being presented at the American Society of Nephrology's

41st Annual Meeting and Scientific Exposition in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

" There has been a lot of publicity about lowering salt or sodium in the diet in

order to lower blood pressure, but not enough on increasing dietary potassium, "

comments lead author Hedayati, MD, of the University of Texas Southwestern

Medical Center in Dallas, Texas, and the Dallas VA Medical Center. The new study

suggests that low potassium may be a particularly important contributor to high

blood pressure among African Americans, and also identifies a gene that may

influence potassium's effects on blood pressure.

The researchers analyzed data on approximately 3,300 subjects from the Dallas

Heart Study, about half of whom were African American. The results showed that

the amount of potassium in urine samples was strongly related to blood pressure.

" The lower the potassium in the urine, hence the lower the potassium in the

diet, the higher the blood pressure, " says Dr. Hedayati. " This effect was even

stronger than the effect of sodium on blood pressure. "

The relationship between low potassium and high blood pressure remained

significant even when age, race, and other cardiovascular risk factors—including

high cholesterol, diabetes, and smoking—were taken into account.

Previous studies, including the landmark " Dietary Approaches to Stop

Hypertension " study (DASH), have linked potassium deficiency to high blood

pressure. The new results support this conclusion, and provide important new

data on the relationship between potassium and blood pressure in a sample that

was 50% African American. " Our study included a high percentage of

African-Americans, who are known to consume the lowest amounts of potassium in

the diet, " according to Dr. Hedayati.

Research performed in the laboratory of Dr. Chou-Long Huang, a co-author of this

study, has found evidence that a specific gene, called WNK1, may be responsible

for potassium's effects on blood pressure. " We are currently doing more research

to test how low potassium in the diet affects blood pressure through the

activity of this gene, " adds Dr. Hedayati.

The conclusions are limited by the fact that people in the Dallas Heart Study

weren't following any specific diet. The researchers are currently performing a

study in which participants are on fixed potassium diets while measuring the

activity of the WNK1 gene to see if WNK1 is responsible for this phenomenon.

Meanwhile, they urge efforts to increase the amount of potassium in the diet, as

well as lowering sodium. " High-potassium foods include fruits such as bananas

and citrus fruits and vegetables, " says Dr, Hedayati. " Consuming a larger amount

of these foods in the diet may lower blood pressure. "

Co-authors of the abstract include Abu Minhajuddin, MD, Orson W. Moe, MD,, and

Chou-Long Huang, MD. This study is funded by the UT Southwestern O'Brien Kidney

Research Core Center (P30DK079328) and the W Reynolds Foundation.

The study abstract, " Dietary Potassium Deficiency Is Independently Associated

with Increased Blood Pressure in a Multi-Ethnic Population-Based Cohort, "

(SA-FC404) will be presented as part of a Free Communications session on the

topic of " Clinical Aspects of Hypertension in Kidney Disease " on Saturday,

November 8, at 4:48 p.m. in Room 105 of the Pennsylvania Convention Center in

Philadelphia, PA.

ASN is a not-for-profit organization of 11,000 physicians and scientists

dedicated to the study of nephrology and committed to providing a forum for the

promulgation of information regarding the latest research and clinical findings

on kidney disease. ASN Renal Week 2008, the largest nephrology meeting of its

kind, will provide a forum for 11,000 nephrologists to discuss the latest

findings in renal research and engage in educational sessions related to

advances in the care of patients with kidney and related disorders. Renal Week

2008 will take place November 4 – November 9 at the Pennsylvania Convention

Center in Philadelphia, PA.

Source: American Society of Nephrology (ASN) Released: Fri 31-Oct-2008