Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0020438 (hypercalciuria)
 2,502 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Over 70 years ago, potassium was found to have a natriuretic effect and was used in patients with heart failure. However, it took many years for its role in the control of blood pressure to be recognized. Recently, epidemiological and clinical studies in man and experimental studies in animals have shown that increasing potassium intake towers blood pressure and that communities with a high potassium intake tend to have lower population blood pressures. Several studies have shown an interaction between salt intake and potassium intake. However, the recent DASH-Sodium (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) study demonstrates an additive effect of a low salt and high potassium diet on blood pressure. Increasing potassium intake may have other beneficial effects, for example, reducing the risk of stroke and preventing the development of renal disease independent of its effect on blood pressure. A high potassium intake reduces calcium excretion and could play an important role in the management of hypercalciuria and kidney stone formation, as well as bone demineralization. Potassium intake may also play an important role in carbohydrate intolerance. A reduced serum potassium increases the risk of lethal ventricular arrhythmias in those at risk, i.e. patients with ischemic heart disease, heart failure or left ventricular hypertrophy, and increasing potassium intake may prevent this. In this article, we address the evidence for the important role of potassium intake in regulating blood pressure and other beneficial effects of potassium which may be independent of and additional to its effect on blood pressure.
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PMID:Potassium: more beneficial effects. 1501 47

Until recently, humans consumed a diet high in potassium. However, with the increasing consumption of processed food, which has potassium removed, combined with a reduction in the consumption of fruits and vegetables, there has been a large decrease in potassium intake which now, in most developed countries, averages around 70 mmol day-1, i.e. only one third of our evolutionary intake. Much evidence shows that increasing potassium intake has beneficial effects on human health. Epidemiological and clinical studies show that a high-potassium diet lowers blood pressure in individuals with both raised blood pressure and average population blood pressure. Prospective cohort studies and outcome trials show that increasing potassium intake reduces cardiovascular disease mortality. This is mainly attributable to the blood pressure-lowering effect and may also be partially because of the direct effects of potassium on the cardiovascular system. A high-potassium diet may also prevent or at least slow the progression of renal disease. An increased potassium intake lowers urinary calcium excretion and plays an important role in the management of hypercalciuria and kidney stones and is likely to decrease the risk of osteoporosis. Low serum potassium is strongly related to glucose intolerance, and increasing potassium intake may prevent the development of diabetes that occurs with prolonged treatment with thiazide diuretics. Reduced serum potassium increases the risk of lethal ventricular arrhythmias in patients with ischaemic heart disease, heart failure and left ventricular hypertrophy, and increasing potassium intake may prevent this. The best way to increase potassium intake is to increase the consumption of fruits and vegetables.
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PMID:Beneficial effects of potassium on human health. 1872 13