Potassium is an important mineral involved in muscle contractions, protein function and the balance of fluids in the body. It comes from a variety of foods. Potassium deficiency, or low blood levels of potassium, is generally a side effect of other medical conditions, diuretic medications or insufficient dietary potassium consumption. It can negatively affect the body and in severe cases be life-threatening.
Symptoms
Individuals with low levels of potassium often have no symptoms, but it can lead to a variety of symptoms. Common symptoms may include muscle weakness and cramps, fatigue and constipation. Mild levels of hypokalemia can lead to cardiac arrhythmias or abnormal heart rhythms in individuals with cardiac ischemia, heart failure or heart chamber wall enlargement, according to an article by Dr. John Gennari in the August 1998 issue of the "New England Journal of Medicine." Severe cases of potassium deficiency can cause cardiac arrest or lung paralysis, which are life-threatening conditions.
Blood Pressure
Too much salt or sodium in the diet is a contributing factor in high blood pressure. It causes the body to retain fluid, which increases blood volume and in turn blood pressure. Together, sodium and potassium help control the flow of fluids in the body. Potassium also has a blunting effect of sodium, decreasing its effect on water retention, according to the American Heart Association. Thus, individuals with a potassium deficiency are more susceptible to the effects of sodium and are at an increased risk of high blood pressure.
Hypokalemic Myopathy
Myopathy refers to a group of muscle diseases in which the muscle fibers do not function properly. There are many types of myopathies, and hypokalemic myopathy is caused by low levels of potassium in the body. In this disease, muscle weakness slowly develops over a period of days to weeks. The legs are primarily affected, but in more severe cases the arms, neck, thoracic and muscles of the diaphragm are affected, according to the Merck Manual of Geriatrics. Potassium replacement therapy often reverses myopathy after one to four weeks.
References
- American Heart Association: Potassium and High Blood Pressure
- National Organization for Rare Disorders: Hypokalemia
- The Merck Manual of Geriatrics: Hypokalemic Myopathy
- Penn State College of Medicine: Hypokalemia
- MedlinePlus: Potassium in Diet
- "New England Journal of Medicine"; Hypokalemia; F. John Gennari; 1998
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