Is low potassium a risk factor for stroke?
The Green et al. study of older adults found an increased risk of stroke among diuretic users with lower serum K+ and among nonusers of diuretics with low dietary K intake. Diuretic users with both lower serum K+ and atrial fibrillation had a 10-fold greater risk of stroke compared to those with higher serum K+ and normal sinus rhythm. see page 314 The accompanying editorial by Levine and Coull notes the fact that the modern Western diet has a very low K content when compared with prehistoric humans and with lower stroke risk populations. They review animal data supporting a salutary effect of dietary K and consider possible mechanisms of K benefit. The impressive epidemiologic and animal data and the low cost of K supplementation argue for a clinical trial to test the hypothesis.
