Dosage Of Potassium For Heart Arrhythmia

Potassium is an essential mineral that your body uses to maintain electrochemical gradients across cell membranes. If your potassium levels are not properly balanced, you may experience heart arrhythmias, but you should not attempt to adjust your potassium dosage without guidance from your doctor, because arrhythmias can develop as a result of either too much or too little potassium.

Potassium and Membrane Potential

Potassium dissolves in solution to form charged particles called ions. Ions conduct electricity. Since potassium is found in far greater concentrations outside cells than inside them, the difference in ionic charges creates an electrochemical gradient between the inside and the outside of the cell, areas separated by the cell membrane. This electrochemical gradient is referred to as membrane potential.

Membrane Potential and Heart Muscle Function

Membrane potential is crucial for controlling nerve impulses and muscle contraction. Your heart contains a special type of involuntary muscle called cardiac muscle that can be affected by disruptions to membrane potential. The Linus Pauling Institute states that the regulation of membrane potential is crucial to the proper functioning of cardiac muscle.

Hypokalemia and Arrhythmia

Hypokalemia is a state of abnormally low plasma potassium concentration that results from potassium deficiency. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, an excess of dietary sodium can increase your need for potassium, as can excessive sweating, malabsorption syndromes, diarrhea and vomiting. Hypokalemia can affect the heart by causing irregular heartbeat and abnormal electrocardiogram readings.

Hyperkalemia and Arrhythmia

Hyperkalemia occurs when serum potassium concentration is abnormally elevated. The Linus Pauling Institute states that hyperkalemia can result when an oral dosage of potassium greater than 18 g is consumed at one time. Hyperkalemia can also be caused by tissue damage due to trauma or the rupture of red blood cells. Hyperkalemia can also cause cardiac arrhythmias that can lead to heart attack.

Dosage for Potassium

The adequate intake level for potassium established by the Institute of Medicine is 4,700 mg per day for persons 14 and older. Consult your doctor before taking potassium supplements. A wide variety of foods such as milk, meat fruits and vegetables are good sources of potassium, according to Colorado State University Extension, and managing your sodium intake can help ensure your potassium levels stay within healthy ranges.