The following HTML text is provided to enhance online
readability. Many aspects of typography translate only awkwardly to HTML.
Please use the page image
as the authoritative form to ensure accuracy.
Dietary Reference Intakes for Water, Potassium, Sodium, Chloride, and Sulfate
Potassium Amount Ingested
Adverse Effect
Medications
Ad lib use of salt substitute
Serum potassium = 7.4 mmol/L
Spironolactone, a potassium-sparing diuretic
Ad lib use of a “lite” salt substitute
Edema, shortness of breath, right-sided and left-sided congestive heart failure
None reported
Estimate of 2.7 g (70 mmol)/d of potassium as “LoSalt” for previous week; diet high in fruits and vegetables
Serum potassium = 7.6 mmol/L; loss of consciousness, dizziness, intermittent vomiting
Atenolol, furosemide, aspirin, and lisinopril (an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor)
Estimate of 5.2 g (133 mmol)/d of potassium as “Lo Salt” previously; diet estimated to also provide 2.7 g (70 mmol)/d
tation. Therefore, a UL is not set for healthy women during this period.
Special Considerations
Problem Pregnancy. It is suggested that high potassium levels be consumed with care in women with problem pregnancies, such as preeclampsia. High concentrations of the antikaliuretic hormone progesterone (which circulate during gestation) may make women with undetected renal dysfunction or with a sudden decrease in glomerular filtration rate (as occurs with preeclampsia) more likely to develop hyperkalemia when potassium intake is high.
Other Situations. Clinical settings in which high intakes of potassium could pose a serious risk include type 1 diabetes, chronic renal insufficiency (e.g., GFR < 40 mL/minute), end-stage renal disease, severe heart failure, and adrenal insufficiency (see Box 5-1). In these
