Women consuming more than 1926 mg potassium per day 12-15% less likely to have a stroke over 11 yrs

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The three-fourths of women consuming more than 1926 mg of potassium per day were 12-15% less likely to have a stroke during an average follow-up of 11 years than the one-fourth of women consuming less than 1926 mg per day according to a new study.

To say this the other way, the one-fourth of women consuming the least potassium, less than 1926 mg of potassium per day, were 14-18% MORE likely to have a stroke than the one-fourth of women consuming more potassium than this, more than 1926 mg of potassium per day, over an average follow-up of 11 years.

“High potassium intake is associated with a lower risk of all stroke and ischemic stroke, as well as all-cause mortality in older women, particularly those who are not hypertensive,” the authors of the paper concluded.

Risk of Stroke by Quartile

Risk by Stroke by Quartile: 12-15% lower risk of stroke over 11 years

Compared to the one-fourth of women consuming the least potassium—less than 1926 mg per day—the total risk of stroke during an average follow-up of 11 years was as follows:

• The one-fourth of women consuming the second most potassium, 1926-2519 mg of potassium per day, were 12% less likely to have a stroke during an 11 year follow-up.
• The one-fourth of women consuming the third most potassium, 2519-3194 mg of potassium per day, were 15% less likely to have a stroke during an 11 year follow-up.
• The one-fourth of women consuming the most potassium, more than 3194 mg of potassium per day, were 12% less likely to have a stroke during an 11 year follow-up.

This was after adjusting for age, race, hypertension status, smoking, physical activity, history of diabetes mellitus, history of atrial fibrillation, history of myocardial infarction, hormone use, alcohol intake, aspirin use, high cholesterol, and body mass index.

Ischemic Stroke

Ischemic Stroke: 15-16% lower risk of ischemic stroke over 11 years

Compared to the one-fourth of women consuming the least potassium—less than 1926 mg per day—the total risk of ischemic stroke during an average follow-up of 11 years was as follows:

• The one-fourth of women consuming the second most potassium, 1926-2519 mg of potassium per day, were 15% less likely to have an ischemic stroke during an 11 year follow-up.
• The one-fourth of women consuming the third most potassium, 2519-3194 mg of potassium per day, were 16% less likely to have an ischemic stroke during an 11 year follow-up.
• The one-fourth of women consuming the most potassium, more than 3194 mg of potassium per day, 15% less likely to have an ischemic stroke during an 11 year follow-up.

Hemorrhagic Stroke

Hemorrhagic Stroke: 9-22% lower risk of hemorrhagic stroke over 11 years, but not statistically significant

Compared to the one-fourth of women consuming the least potassium—less than 1926 mg per day—the total risk of hemorrhagic stroke during an average follow-up of 11 years was as follows:

• The one-fourth of women consuming the second most potassium, 1926-2519 mg of potassium per day, were 9% less likely to have an hemorrhagic stroke during an 11 year follow-up, but this was not statistically significant, meaning it could have been due to random chance.
• The one-fourth of women consuming the third most potassium, 2519-3194 mg of potassium per day, were 22% less likely to have an hemorrhagic stroke during an 11 year follow-up, but this was not statistically significant, meaning it could have been due to random chance, but this result was very close to being statistically significant.
• The one-fourth of women consuming the most potassium, more than 3194 mg of potassium per day, 8% less likely to have an hemorrhagic stroke during an 11 year follow-up, but this was not statistically significant, meaning it could have been due to random chance.

Subjects

Subjects: 90,137 women 50- to 79-years-old

“The study population consisted of 90,137 postmenopausal women aged 50- to 79- [years-old] at enrollment, free of stroke history at baseline, followed up prospectively for an average of 11 years,” the paper notes.

This data is from The Women’s Health Initiative Observational Study (WHI-OS), the largest prospective cohort study of postmenopausal women with long-term follow-up.

Reference

Seth A, Mossavar-Rahmani Y, Kamensky V, Silver B, Lakshminarayan K, Prentice R, Van Horn L, and Wassertheil-Smoller S. Potassium Intake and Risk of Stroke in Women With Hypertension and Nonhypertension in the Women’s Health Initiative. Stroke, 2014 Oct; 45(10): 2874-2880.

The paper is posted here:
http://stroke.ahajournals.org/content/45/10/2874.long

Author’s Contact Info

Sylvia Wassertheil-Smoller, PhD
Department of Epidemiology and Population Health
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
1300 Morris Park Ave
Belfer Building, Rm 1312
Bronx, NY 10461 USA
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