Potassium supplement ameliorates salt-induced haemostatic abnormalities in normotensive subjects.
BACKGROUND
Dietary high salt or low potassium is always associated with an increased incidence of death or cardiovascular complications, but the mechanisms remain elusive. We hypothesize that haemostatic abnormalities may play an important role in the phenomenon.


METHODS
Twenty normotensive subjects (aged 25 to 50 years) were selected from a rural community of Northern China. All of the people were sequentially maintained on a 3-day baseline investigation, 7 days on a low-salt diet (51.3 mmol or 3 g of NaCI per day), 7 days on a high-salt diet (307.7 mmol or 18 g of NaCl per day), and another 7 days on a high-salt diet with potassium supplementation (4.5 g/day, KCI). The concentrations of fibrinogen, D-dimer and von Willebrand factor (vWF) in plasma were assessed, and these data represent the systemic haemostatic state.


RESULTS
Plasma levels of fibrinogen, fibrin D-dimer and vWF were significantly higher in the high-salt diet than in the low-salt diet (P < 0.05). In contrast, potassium supplement could convert the sodium-dependent haemostatic abnormalities to normal (P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Dietary high salt intake could stimulate the production of haemostatic factors, which may ultimately lead to cardiovascular events. Inversely, potassium supplementation could ameliorate the sodium-induced haemostatic abnormalities.
Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of Medical College, Xi'an, PR China.
Fuqiang
F
Liu
Jianjun
J
Mu
Zuyi
Z
Yuan
Min
M
Zhang
Shuhui
S
Zheng
Qiufang
Q
Lian
Enqi
E
Liu
Haixia
H
Xu
Keyu
K
Ren
Qiang
Q
Huang
D000328:Adult; D000465:Algorithms; D000933:Antifibrinolytic Agents / Q000097:blood; D044466:Asian People; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects*; D018660:Blood Pressure Monitoring, Ambulatory; D004039:Diet, Sodium-Restricted; D005260:Female; D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products / Q000378:metabolism; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000378:metabolism; D006487:Hemostasis / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011188:Potassium / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology; D012016:Reference Values; D012424:Rural Population; D017673:Sodium Chloride, Dietary / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology; D014841:von Willebrand Factor / Q000378:metabolism
D000933:Antifibrinolytic Agents; D015415:Biomarkers; D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products; D017673:Sodium Chloride, Dietary; C036309:fibrin fragment D; D014841:von Willebrand Factor; D005340:Fibrinogen; D011188:Potassium