title: Effect of potassium supplementation on vascular function: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Effects of potassium supplementation on vascular function remain conflicting. This meta-analysis aimed to summarized current literature to fill the gaps in knowledge.
  
  
  METHODS
  A literature search was performed on PubMed database through April, 2016. The measurements of vascular function included pulse wave velocity (PWV), augmentation index (AI), pulse pressure (PP), flow mediated dilatation (FMD), glycerol trinitrate responses (GTN), and intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1). Data were pooled as standardized mean difference (SMD) with 95% confidence intervals.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seven randomized controlled trials examining 409 participants were included, with dosage of potassium ranging from 40 to 150mmol/day, and duration of intervention from 6days to 12months. Pooling results revealed a significant improvement in PP (SMD -0.280, 95% CI -0.493 to -0.067, p=0.010), but no improvement in PWV (SMD -0.342, 95% CI -1.123 to 0·440, p=0.391), AI (SMD -0.114, 95% CI -0.282 to 0.054, p=0.184), FMD (SMD 0·278, 95% CI -0.321 to 0.877, p=0.363), GTN (SMD -0.009, 95% CI -0.949 to 0.930, p=0.984), and ICAM-1 (SMD -0.238, 95% CI -0.720 to 0.244, p=0.333).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Potassium supplementation was associated with significant improvement of PP, rather than other measurements of vascular function. However, the small number of researches and wide variation of evidences make it difficult to make a definitive conclusion.
authors.affiliation: Advanced Medical Center, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510630, China.
authors.forename: Xixiang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510630, China.
authors.forename: Bingyuan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510630, China.
authors.forename: Yanting
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510630, China.
authors.forename: Long
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510630, China.
authors.forename: Yanming
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510630, China.
authors.forename: Jieming
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510630, China.
authors.forename: Chaoquan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510630, China. Electronic address: LeeSH_718@163.com.
authors.forename: Suhua
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510630, China. Electronic address: medicine2lsh@163.com.
authors.forename: Jinlai
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D002320:Cardiovascular Physiological Phenomena / Q000187:drug effects*; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D006801:Humans; D017680:Potassium Compounds / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
chemical_list: D017680:Potassium Compounds
keywords: Arterial stiffness; Endothelial function; Potassium; Pulse pressure; Pulse wave velocity; Vascular function