Use of potassium supplements is associated with lower blood FGF23 levels and lower risks of cardiovascular outcomes and mortality, both in healthy subjects and in renal patients. This has emerged from PhD research by Stanley Yeung, for which he obtained his PhD at the University of Groningen at the end of January.
Kidney damage leads to increased phosphate and fibroblast growth factor (FGF23) concentrations in the blood. Yeung investigated whether a higher intake of potassium-rich foods can influence these concentrations. As a measure of dietary potassium intake, he used potassium levels in 24-hour urine. He found that low potassium intake coincided with high FGF23 levels and that both factors increased the risk of cardiovascular disease, hypertension and mortality. In contrast, people with a high potassium intake actually had lower FGF23 levels.
So Yeung next investigated whether potassium supplements could lower FGF23 levels. This turned out to be the case in both healthy subjects and kidney patients: potassium supplements resulted in a small but statistically significant decrease in FGF23. This information provides starting points for further research into potassium as a possible treatment for cardiovascular disorders in renal patients.
Yeung was supervised in writing his thesis ‘Potassium intake, fibroblast growth factor 23 and clinical outcomes’ by promotors Prof. Dr. Martin de Borst, Prof. Dr. Stephan Bakker, Prof. Dr. Liffert Vogt and Prof. Dr. Ewout Horn.
Bron:
University of Groningen