High potassium is one of the most common reasons patients are referred to our office, one of the most frequent abnormalities on our patients’ lab results, and the top reason we often ask for labs to be repeated.
Why?
Because one of the many important jobs the kidneys perform is maintaining balance in our electrolytes and minerals. When the kidneys start to slow down—as they do in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD)—they may fail to properly excrete excess potassium.
Why is this a problem?
Potassium helps regulate muscle function, including the most important muscle of all—your heart. Elevated potassium levels can disrupt both the rhythm and contractility of the heart. In severe cases, this can lead to cardiac standstill (cardiac arrest). In fact, during open heart surgery, the heart is intentionally stopped by bathing it in a potassium solution.
So when we call and tell you your potassium level is high, it’s something that needs immediate attention.
How do we get potassium into our bodies?
Primarily through what we eat, as well as through medications and supplements. Certain medications can cause the body to “hold on” to potassium, so we always review those carefully as well.
This month, we’ll explore:
What causes high potassium levels
How we determine if a result is truly elevated or falsely high (which it often is)
How your diet contributes to elevated levels
What happens when diet alone isn’t enough to lower potassium
Please be sure to watch our educational videos this month on potassium, including how to reduce potassium (K) levels in the foods you love.
Click the link in the right-hand column for a list of potassium content in common foods.
