Are You At Risk For A Fatal Heart Rhythm?
What do these people have in common? • A young man who has vomiting and diarrhea after eating spoiled food • A middle aged woman who is taking a water pill, called a diuretic, to control her blood pressure • An elderly man with poorly functioning kidneys, who has been taking the same blood pressure medications for years and who missed his recent doctor’s appointment All these people are at risk for potassium imbalance…either too little potassium like the young man who’s been vomiting and the woman taking fluid pills or too much potassium like the elderly man with worsening kidney function. So why is potassium so important for your body? Potassium is an essential mineral that your body needs in order to maintain the normal balance of cellular function in your heart, your kidneys and your muscles… When you have too little potassium in your body–called hypokalemia–you’re prone to develop muscle cramps, fatigue and may even develop life-threatening heart irregularities. These heart i
