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February 10, 2012
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Low Potassium
(Hypokalemia)

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Low Potassium (Hypokalemia) Overview

Low potassium levels (hypokalemia), can cause weakness as cellular processes are impaired.

Potassium is a mineral (electrolyte) in the body. Almost 98% of potassium is found inside the cells. Small changes in the level of potassium that is present outside the cells can have severe effects on the heart, nerves, and muscles.

Potassium is important to maintain several bodily functions:

  • Muscles need potassium to contract.

  • The heart muscle needs potassium to beat properly and regulate blood pressure.

The kidney is the main organ that controls the balance of potassium by removing excess potassium into the urine.

When potassium levels are low (hypokalemia), you can become weak as cellular processes are impaired.

  • The normal potassium level is 3.5-5.0 mEq/L (mEq/L stand for milliequivalents per liter of blood and this is a measure used to evaluate the level). Low potassium is defined as a potassium level below 3.5 mEq/L.
  • Almost one out of five people hospitalized in the United States has a low potassium level.

  • People with eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia, patients with AIDS, alcoholics, and those who have had bariatric surgery have a higher incidence of hypokalemia than others.
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Low Potassium (Hypokalemia) - Causes

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Low Potassium (Hypokalemia) - How Was Diagnosis Established

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Low Potassium (Hypokalemia)

Bulimia Overview

Bulimia, also called bulimia nervosa, is an eating disorder. Someone with bulimia might binge on food and then vomit (also called purge) in a cycle of binging and purging. Binge eating refers to quickly eating large amounts of food over short periods of time. Purging involves forced vomiting or the misuse of laxatives, diet pills, diuretics (which control blood pressure by increasing urination), or other medications. It might also involve excessive exercise, dieting, or fasting in an attempt to lose weight that might be gained from eating food or binging. The bulimia sufferer might induce vomiting by putting their finger down their throat or by consuming a substance that causes vomiting, like syrup of ipecac.

Affecting nearly 1% of people in the United States at sometime in their lifetime, bulimia affects millions of people, women more often than men. Other statistics about bulimia include its tendency to affect more than 3% of women a...

Read the Bulimia article »


Read What Your Physician is Reading on Medscape

Hypokalemia »

Potassium, the most abundant intracellular cation, is essential for the life of the organism.

Read More on Medscape Reference »

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