Potassium, an element essential for maintaining normal cellular function in the body, regulates electrolyte balance, blood pressure, and electrical impulses in nerves and muscle cells.[1][2] The latter is crucial for maintaining contractile function in muscles, including the heart.
Potassium is obtained in the diet and is found in many foods, including fruits, vegetables, legumes, meat, and animal products (milk, yogurt, etc.).[3][4] In the USA, the adequate intake (AI) for potassium — the amount assumed to ensure nutritional adequacy — in adults without known health conditions is 3,400 mg/day in males and 2,600 mg/day in females, but the AI changes with age and during pregnancy (see the Dosage Information section).[3][4]
The potassium concentration in the blood is tightly regulated within a range of 3.5 to 4.5 millimoles per liter of blood (mmol/L).[1][5][2] Several factors can push blood potassium concentrations outside this range. These include dietary potassium intake, some drugs (e.g., insulin, diuretics, and potassium binders), and certain clinical conditions (e.g., chronic kidney disease and diabetic ketoacidosis).[1][5][2][6][7] Blood potassium concentrations outside the healthy reference range — hyperkalemia (high blood potassium[8]) and hypokalemia (low blood potassium[9]) — are problematic because they’re associated with an increased risk of heart problems (e.g., heart arrhythmias) or dying from a cardiovascular event.[10][11][12][13][14][15]