Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT: Objective
To investigate the normal range of serum potassium, the prevalence of dyskalaemia and the associated factors in Chinese older adults.Design
A cross-sectional study conducted from September 2017 to March 2018.Setting
Forty-eight community elderly care facilities in four regions in northern China.Participants
A total of 1266 (308 apparently healthy and 958 unhealthy) participants 55 years or older and with fasting serum potassium measured.Main outcome measures and methods
Serum potassium <3.5 mEq/L and >5.5 mEq/L (guidelines definition) and <2.5th and >97.5th percentiles of the distribution among healthy participants (our study definition) were both used to define hypokalaemia and hyperkalaemia, respectively. Multivariable generalised estimating equation models were used to adjust for clustering effect in the analyses of factors associated with risk of dyskalaemia and with variations in serum potassium.Results
The study participants had a mean age of 70 (8.8) years. Among apparently healthy participants, the 2.5th and 97.5th percentiles of serum potassium distribution were 3.7 mEq/L and 5.3 mEq/L, respectively. Using the study definition, the prevalence of hyperkalaemia was 4.3% (95% CI 3.2% to 5.4%) and of hypokalaemia was 4.0% (95% CI 2.9% to 5.1%). Multivariable analyses showed that risk of hyperkalaemia was associated with unhealthy conditions (OR=2.21; 95% CI 1.17 to 4.18); risk of hypokalaemia was associated with unhealthy conditions (OR=2.56; 95% CI 1.05 to 6.23), older age (OR=1.70 per 10-year increase; 95% CI 1.04 to 2.79) and region (OR=16.87; 95% CI 6.41 to 44.38); and higher serum potassium was associated with male gender (mean difference (MD)=0.12; 95% CI 0.05 to 0.19) and estimated glomerular filtration rate <60 mL/min/1.73 m2 (MD=0.29; 95% CI 0.12 to 0.46). Using the guidelines definition, hyperkalaemia accounted for 2.7% (1.8%, 3.6%) and hypokalaemia 1.8% (1.1%, 2.5%). Analyses of the associated factors showed similar trends.Conclusions
The study suggested a narrower normal range of serum potassium for defining dyskalaemia, which was common in older Chinese and more prevalent in unhealthy ones.Trial registration number
NCT03290716; Pre-results.
SUBMITTER: Jin A
PROVIDER: S-EPMC7604839 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Oct
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Jin Aoming A Zhao Minghui M Sun Yihong Y Feng Xiangxian X Zhang Ruijuan R Qiao Qianku Q Wang Hongxia H Yuan Jianhui J Wang Yuqi Y Cheng Lili L Zhang Hui H Li Hui-Juan HJ Wu Yangfeng Y
BMJ open 20201030 10
<h4>Objective</h4>To investigate the normal range of serum potassium, the prevalence of dyskalaemia and the associated factors in Chinese older adults.<h4>Design</h4>A cross-sectional study conducted from September 2017 to March 2018.<h4>Setting</h4>Forty-eight community elderly care facilities in four regions in northern China.<h4>Participants</h4>A total of 1266 (308 apparently healthy and 958 unhealthy) participants 55 years or older and with fasting serum potassium measured.<h4>Main outcome ...[more]