Potassium is a valuable electrolyte, which has numerous benefits for the human body. Its deficiency can have serious health complications, and causes a number of harmful diseases. In this article, we look at some potassium deficiency diseases, their effects on health, and which groups of society are prone to this. Diseases caused by Potassium Deficiency The seriousness of the effects of low potassium can be understood through the diseases that can occur. Cardiac Arrhythmias: Also known as dysrhythmia or simply arrhythmias, this condition is a direct result of potassium deficiency. It denotes abnormal heart activity. The heart rate may be slow, fast, or irregular, but this sort of activity can have a wide range of consequences. If the heartbeat is too fast or slow, pressure drops, and a person will feel dizzy and faint. Sometimes, it can even cause a heart attack or sudden death. Gitelman's Syndrome: This syndrome is one of the rarer deficiency diseases, that affects the kidneys. The kidneys pass sodium, potassium, magnesium, and chloride into the urine, and flush them out of the body, rather than absorbing them into the bloodstream. It is normally seen in older children. Rhabdomyolysis: In this disease, the skeletal muscle tissue breaks down rapidly, and the products of the cells are released into the bloodstream. One of these products, a protein called myoglobin, is very harmful to the kidney, and can lead to kidney dysfunction. Hyporeflexia: When the nerves are sluggish or absent in response activity, the condition is called hyporeflexia. It is tested by hitting the patient in a tendon, with a reflex hammer. Bartter's Syndrome: This is a set of closely related disorders, that are similar in symptoms to the Gitelman's Syndrome. A mutation in the kidney tubules affects the sodium content in the kidneys. Too much sodium is lost, and the kidneys start to remove potassium. This syndrome is common in young children, and is a characteristic of low potassium content. Renal Tubular Acidosis: This is another kidney disorder caused by the body being deficient in potassium. Here, the kidneys do not secrete acid into urine, so it accumulates in the blood. Cushing's Syndrome: This disorder is caused by an increase in content of a steroid hormone, called cortisol. As it results in hormonal imbalance, the physicality of the person is affected, and tumor growth on the lungs, thyroid, and pancreas occurs. Conn's Syndrome: A benign tumor on the outer section of the adrenal gland causes this syndrome. It then secretes a hormone, aldosterone, with no control, and the kidneys excrete potassium. Hypokalemia: Very low potassium levels create this disease. This disease has the symptoms of increase in blood pressure, muscular weakness and cramps, constipation, fatigue, and respiratory problems. Flaccid Paralysis: This causes weakness or paralysis in the muscles and loss of muscle tone, without any external causes like trauma. Congestive Heart Failure: This is the inability of the heart to supply enough blood to all parts of the body. It is a result of cardiac arrhythmias, and can lead to cardiac arrest, lung paralysis, and high blood pressure. Diabetic Complications: Low potassium levels have serious effects on both, diabetics and non-diabetics. Less potassium can lead to glucose intolerance, as the release of insulin is hampered, and this can lead to diabetes. With diabetics, their blood sugar levels can increase even more, if potassium content is insufficient. Potassium Deficiency Risk People who are more susceptible to a deficiency of potassium fall under the following groups:

• Those taking diuretics
• Prolonged fasting and extreme dieters
• People suffering from diabetes, kidney, and heart diseases
• Alcoholics
• People with chronic vomiting or diarrhea
• People following high sodium diets
• Those with low fruit and vegetable intake
• Senior citizens
• Those who use excessive laxatives

The recommended range of potassium for an adult falls between 3.5 and 5.0 mmol/L (millimoles per liter fluid). If present in sufficient quantities, it is known to reduce risk of the following conditions:

• Stroke
• Osteoporosis
• Infertility
• High blood pressure
• Skin lesions and fractures
• Rheumatism
• Chronic fatigue
• Kidney stones

Due to potassium's importance in bone structure and bodily functions, children should have higher potassium levels, especially newborns. Avoid taking supplements, and instead, incorporate more natural sources of potassium into your diet. Meats, fish, soy products, and fruits are good sources. It takes a list of diseases to understand the role of this tiny little electrolyte in human health. Disclaimer: This article is for informative purposes only and not intended to replace the advice offered by a medical expert.