title: Differences in serum potassium concentrations in normal men in different geographic locations.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Medicine, Cornell University Medical College, New York, NY 10021.
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Reidenberg
authors.forename: Z P
authors.initials: ZP
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lorenzo
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Coutinho
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Athayde
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Frick
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Alvarez
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Brache
authors.forename: E E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Emuveyan
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D011188:Potassium