Abstract 464: Effects of Increased Potassium and Sodium on Endothelial Function: A Pilot Study

Abstract

Background and aim: Increased potassium intake has been related to reduced blood pressure (BP) and improved endothelial function. High sodium intake increases BP and impairs endothelial function. The effect of increasing potassium in the presence of high dietary sodium is not known. The aim was to determine the effect of increased potassium and increased sodium on post prandial endothelial function, as assessed by flow mediated dilatation (FMD). Materials and methods: Eighteen healthy, normotensive volunteers (age 41±16 and BMI 23.0±2.7) received a meal with 3.1mmol potassium and 65mmol sodium (LKHNa), a meal with 38mmol potassium and 65mmol sodium (HKHNa) and a control meal (LKLNa) with 5.5mmol sodium and 3.1mmol potassium on three separate occasions in a randomized order. FMD, pulse wave velocity (PWV), augmentation index (AI) and BP were measured while participants were fasting and at 30, 60, 90 and 120 minutes after the meal. Results: The LKHNa meal produced a significant reduction in FMD at 90 minutes when compared to the LKLNa control meal (p<0.01). The addition of potassium (HKHNa) significantly attenuated the post meal decrease in FMD when compared to the high sodium meal (p<0.05) at 90 minutes (Figure 1) . There was no significant differences in PWV, AI, or BP. The study will continue until n=40. Conclusions: The addition of potassium to a high sodium meal may attenuate the post meal reduction in endothelial function as assessed by FMD. Increases in sodium and potassium do not appear to effect PWV, AI or BP in the postprandial state. Additional data collection will continue to elucidate the effect of increased potassium in the presence of high sodium.