How Potassium Helps to Treat High Blood Pressure

Hypertension affects nearly half the people in the US, and many are unaware they have it

There are many ways to get more potassium from diet, yet still many of us don't eat enough. Evan Lorne/Shutterstock

STORY AT-A-GLANCE

• Nearly half—47 percent—of all Americans have high blood pressure, costing about $131 billion each year in direct medical costs
• Many who have hypertension don’t have it under control, which affects your microvascular system, triggering damage to your eyes, kidneys, heart, and sexual performance
• By ensuring that you have enough potassium in your daily diet, you may prevent hypertension or reduce your dependence on medication to control it

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly one-half—47 percent—of Americans have high blood pressure (hypertension).1 Hypertension carries a high cost to your health. It’s a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease and stroke,2 which are the first and fifth leading causes, respectively, of death in the United States.3

Hypertension comes with an annual financial burden of more than $131 billion in direct medical costs and lost work days; that doesn’t include a number of other health conditions worsened by hypertension, including kidney disease and cognitive decline.