Sudden death from cardiac causes has become increasingly common in recent years. If a person has a potassium deficiency, they also face the risk of a heart attack at any time.
Potassium is mainly found in the human body's bones and muscles. Together with sodium, it is responsible for regulating the body's electrolyte balance. Muscle contractions, including the heart's pumping action and limb movements, all depend on potassium. Various biological enzymes also need potassium to perform their biological functions properly. Specifically for the heart, when potassium levels are low, cellular function is impaired. A person may feel weak and fatigued because the heart lacks the potassium to pump blood effectively, and the muscles throughout the body also contract weakly, leading to a feeling of weakness. It is said that in the United States, 1 in 5 hospitalized patients has symptoms of low potassium. The feeling of fatigue and the high incidence of heart disease are related to excessive sweating, which causes a significant loss of potassium through sweat.
High blood pressure is also related to low blood potassium, because blood potassium helps muscles contract normally, thereby lowering blood pressure. At the same time, potassium can displace sodium, which can reduce the amount of sodium that causes high blood pressure.