Serum potassium level is associated with metabolic syndrome: a population-based study.

BACKGROUND & AIMS Evidence has suggested that low serum potassium concentration or low dietary potassium intake can result in many metabolic disorders. Our objective was to evaluate the association between serum potassium level and risk of prevalent metabolic syndrome. METHODS We conducted a cross-sectional study in 10,341 participants aged 40 years or older. Metabolic syndrome was defined according to guidelines from the National Cholesterol Education Program with modification. RESULTS The prevalence rate of metabolic syndrome was 51.7% in participants with hypokalemia and 37.7% in those with normokalemia. With the reduction of serum potassium quartiles, participants were tended to have higher level of triglycerides and uric acid, lower level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), larger waist circumference and more severe insulin resistance. Serum potassium level significantly decreased with the increasing number of metabolic syndrome components. Compared with subjects in the highest quartile of serum potassium level, multivariate adjusted odds ratios for prevalent metabolic syndrome in the lowest quartile was 1.48 (95% confidence interval, 1.16-1.87). Moreover, compared with subjects without central obesity, hypertriglyceridemia, low HDL-C and elevated fasting plasma glucose, those with each of these metabolic syndrome components have lower level of serum potassium after adjusted for age and sex. CONCLUSIONS Low serum potassium level significantly associated with prevalence of metabolic syndrome in middle-aged and elderly Chinese.