Differences in serum potassium concentrations in normal men in different geographic locations.
Hypokalemia has been associated with the taking of gossypol, a potential oral antifertility drug for men. Because the frequency of this response differed in different parts of the world, this study was done to learn if "normal" serum [K+] also differed. [K+] was measured by flame photometry in serum from apparently normal men from Austria (n = 30), China (53), Brazil (100), the Dominican Republic (38), and the US (103), and in plasma from Nigerian men (82). The mean (SD) for [K+] in Chinese men, 3.82 (0.27) mmol/L, was lower than that in Brazilians [4.06 (0.29) mmol/L], Austrians [4.14 (0.44) mmol/L], Dominicans [4.37 (0.33) mmol/L], or Americans [4.38 (0.37) mmol/L]. Apparently there are regional differences in average serum [K+], with men in China having lower serum [K+] than men elsewhere. This may predispose them to hypokalemia.
Reidenberg
M M
MM
Department of Pharmacology and Medicine, Cornell University Medical College, New York, NY 10021.
Gu
Z P
ZP
Lorenzo
B
B
Coutinho
E
E
Athayde
C
C
Frick
J
J
Alvarez
F
F
Brache
V
V
Emuveyan
E E
EE
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001317:Austria; D001938:Brazil; D002681:China; D004293:Dominican Republic; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009549:Nigeria; D011188:Potassium / Q000097:blood*; D012016:Reference Values; D014481:United States
D011188:Potassium