Potassium Deficiency in Elderly

In medical terms, lack of potassium is also known as hypokalemia. It refers to low levels of potassium in the blood, which is a root cause of various complications. Potassium, the element, is an essential constituent of our body, and is important for proper functioning of the nervous system. Potassium also helps in the movement of the muscles, and also regulates heart functions.

Ideally, the normal range of potassium levels in the human body is 3.7 to 5.2 mEq/L (milliequivalent per liter). However, your potassium test results may vary depending on several factors, like, the testing measures used in the lab, your age, gender, overall health, etc. It is also possible that the values of blood potassium level that fall outside the normal range that is mentioned above, can be normal for your body. It is recommended to consult your doctor for future references.

When we look at the causes of lack of potassium, very rarely do we find that the deficiency is caused due to low content of the mineral in the diet. Mostly, it is caused by the use of diuretics in elderly people. Diuretics are nothing but the drugs and medications, that increase the excretion of salt and water content in the urine.

These diuretics are required in the treatment of acute medical conditions, like, high blood pressure (hypertension), heart failure, liver diseases, and kidney diseases. It is also triggered in the elderly by taking diuretics like furosemide and thiazide.

Other causes of the deficiency in elderly include diarrhea and excessive vomiting, that are caused due to the gastrointestinal tract infections.

Diarrhea and vomiting lead to dehydration (loss of body water), hyponatremia (low sodium levels) and hypokalemia (low potassium levels). Diarrhea due to laxative abuse is also believed to be a related cause of this type of deficiency in older adults.

Laxative abuse refers to the obsession in a person that compels him/her to get rid of unwanted calories, lose weight, and appear thin. It is often caused due to the eating disorders like anorexia nervosa. Deficiency of potassium in elderly, that occurs due to laxative abuse is often life-threatening.

Vomiting can also lead to low potassium levels in the blood. A small amount of this mineral is ejected from the body during vomiting. Moreover, vomiting also triggers potassium loss from urine, and it also ejects acid content from the mouth, leading to an increase in the pH level of the blood.

An increased pH level means the blood turns more alkaline, and this directly affects the kidneys. As the blood turns alkaline in nature, it forces the kidneys to pass more potassium through the urine. So, continuous and prolonged vomiting can lead to loss of potassium from the blood, and that may be beyond the normal limit.

Signs of lack of deficiency in the elderly are common due to their growing age, that leads to the deficiency of vitamins and important minerals in the body. The complications that are linked to it show following signs:

• Fatigue
• Muscle weakness or muscle cramps
• Skin rashes or acne
• Nervous disorders
• Insomnia
• Slow and erratic heartbeat

• Depression
• Erratic mood changes
• Cardiac arrhythmia in sudden cases of potassium deficiency
• Higher blood sugar
• Bone fragility (in extreme cases)

It can be diagnosed by taking blood samples, preparing blood serum, and measuring the concentration of potassium ions in the blood. Some methods that can easily measure the potassium ion concentration in the blood are atomic absorption and spectroscopy. Urine samples of the patients are also tested in order to trace the cause of lack of this essential mineral in the body.

In the initial stages, when a person starts experiencing the signs, he/she should immediately seek medical advice. In emergency situations, the heartbeat of the patient must be monitored constantly under the supervision of a medical expert.

If the doctor finds that potassium level in the blood is less than normal, he may prescribe intravenous potassium supplements. These supplements are in the form of pills, that contain potassium chloride (KCl) and potassium bircarbonate (KHCO3).

The treatment for the patients in the early stages consists of following a healthy lifestyle coupled with a diet rich in potassium.

Usually hypokalemia is not a concern for elderly, who follow a healthy lifestyle and include potassium-rich foods in their diet. Mostly, all foods contain good amount of this mineral, however, some like bananas, tomatoes, potatoes, milk, fig, etc., contain very high amounts. For the elderly who take diuretics, a high potassium diet is very essential.