Why the study?
Does potassium chloride supplementation alter blood pressure and racial differences in plasma renin activity?
Does potassium chloride supplementation alter blood pressure and racial differences in plasma renin activity?
Potassium supplementation normalizes the lower plasma renin activity observed in black individuals, suggesting dietary rather than genetic causes for this difference.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Suggests dietary factors may underlie racial PRA differences; leaves open effects on BP and need for confirmatory trials.
In a 10-week trial of the effect of 80 mEq KCl/day on blood pressure, the following biochemical changes were noted: plasma renin activity (PRA), originally significantly lower in blacks than whites, increased to the same level as whites after K supplementation. A similar trend was noted with aldosterone. KCl increased creatinine excretion in blacks and whites, and lowered Ca excretion in blacks. These results suggest that the low PRA found in blacks is due, at least in part, to low K intake, and not to genetic causes.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Langford et al. (1991) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 10 related papers. Consider them for comparative context: