QUESTION: We are senior citizens and would like to know just what a certain blood test is for.
Some of our doctors have a test taken every six months when we are in for a blood pressure check.
It is usually for "potassium" but we have no symptoms of a lack of potassium and are not treated for anything else, so why?
ANSWER: A regular blood test for potassium at six month intervals would make no sense to me either, if you hadn't mentioned that it occurred while you were having your blood pressure checked.
Did you forget to tell me that some of you were being treated for high blood pressure? One classification of medications commonly used to reduce elevated blood pressure is the "thiazide" group, also known as "diuretics" or "water pills".
They work to reduce the pressure by reducing the volume of blood through increased urinary excretion, but they also provoke a loss of sodium, potassium and chlorides as well.
They are well tolerated as medications, having few side effects and are frequently chosen as the first medication in the treatment of hypertension.
Since they extract potassium from the body, regular blood tests can be used to check the levels.
Potassium is a most important chemical for the body to have in just the right amounts, as it can effect the way electrical currents are carried through the heart, and thus the way the heart beats.
In most cases, there is no need to replace potassium in people who are on diuretics, but when the levels are low, liquids containing extra potassium can be provided.
Bananas are also an excellent source of potassium, as are prunes, raisins and whole or skimmed milk.
If you are on water pills, and receive no additional medication after the blood tests, it is because you are maintaining the right levels of potassium and so have no need for more medication, and certainly nothing to worry about.
The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace the counsel and advice of your personal physician.
Promptly consulting your doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical problem.
