Potassium is a mineral that is essential for nerve impulses, muscle contractions and normal heart rhythm. Having too much or too little potassium in your blood affects each of these functions. Certain medications for coagulation, or blood clotting, may interact with potassium and can raise potassium in your blood to dangerous levels. If you take a dietary supplement containing potassium, including a multivitamin, make sure you inform your physician.
Hyperkalemia
Hyperkalemia occurs when you have dangerously high levels of potassium in your blood. Normally, your potassium levels should be 3.6 to 4.8 mEq/L. Hyperkalemia, according to the Mayo Clinic, is a potassium level above 6.0 mEq/L. Your kidneys help regulate potassium in your body, excreting any excess you don't need. Chronic kidney failure, alcoholism and excessive use of supplements may lead to hyperkalemia. You may feel weak, have an abnormal heart rhythm or experience nausea when potassium reaches high levels in your system.
Potassium and Coagulation
Coagulation is a series of steps, each one relying on the one previous, that allows your body to form clots. Clotting can be beneficial during wound healing, but sometimes clots form within veins and arteries and block blood flow. Heparin is an anticoagulant medication commonly prescribed to stop clots from forming. You may receive a prescription for heparin if you frequently have blood clots in your system. One of the downfalls of heparin is that it can lead to hyperkalemia, especially if your kidneys don't function properly. If you take an anticoagulant medication and have reduced kidney function, ensure that your physician monitors your serum potassium levels. In severe cases, elevated potassium can lead to paralysis.
Risk of Stroke
Researchers at Tulane University in Louisiana published a study in "Stroke: A Journal of Cerebral Circulation" in 2001, evaluating the effects of potassium and risk of stroke. When a stroke occurs, blood cells coagulate within an artery, forming a clot. The clot blocks blood flow to and from your heart, disabling oxygen and blood flow to your brain. Strokes vary in severity; some of them are mild, but others can cause paralysis or complete memory loss. Researchers concluded that having a diet low in potassium can increase your risk of having a stroke by as much as 28 percent; however, the research was observational and based on dietary recall surveys submitted by study participants, so more research is necessary before drawing conclusions about this relationship.
Dosage
The adequate intake for potassium is 4,700 mg daily, as established by the Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine. You don't need a higher amoung while you're pregnant, but if you breast-feed, you should increase your intake to 5,100 mg. Many sports drinks provide a high level of potassium, because you lose potassium when you sweat. Additional dietary sources include bananas, potatoes, tomatoes, raisins, lima beans and nuts.
References
- Linus Pauling Institute: Potassium
- Mayo Clinic: Hyperkalemia (High Potassium)
- "Annals of Thoracic Surgery": Heparin-Induced Hyperkalemia After Cardiac Surgery; Jonathan R.S. Day, et al.; 2002
- "Stroke: A Journal of Cerebral Circulation": Dietary Potassium Intake and Risk of Stroke in US Men and Women: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey I Epidemiologic Follow-up Study; L.A. Bazzano, et al.; July 2001
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