Elderly women who eat foods higher in potassium   are less likely to have strokes and die than women who eat less potassium-rich foods, according to new research in the American Heart Association. "Previous studies have shown that potassium consumption may lower blood pressure. But whether potassium intake could prevent stroke   or death wasn't clear," said Smoller, professor of the department of population health at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY.  Researchers studied 90,137 women, aged from 50 to 79 for an average 11 years. They looked at how much potassium the women consumed, as well as if they had strokes, including ischemic strokes  , or died during the study period. Women in the study were stroke-free at the start and their average dietary potassium intake was 2,611 mg/day. Results of this study are based on potassium from food, not supplements. The researchers found: Women who ate the most potassium were 12 percent less likely to suffer stroke in general and 16 percent less likely to suffer an ischemic stroke than women who ate the least. Women who ate the most potassium were 10 percent less likely to die than those who ate the least. Among women who did not have high blood pressure, those who ate the most potassium had a 27 percent lower ischemic stroke risk and 21 perc ent reduced risk for all stroke types, compared to women who ate the least potassium in their daily diets. Among women with high blood pressure, those who ate the most potassium had a lower risk of death, but potassium intake did not lower their stroke risk.  "Our findings suggest that women need to eat more p otassium-rich foods. You won't find high potassium in junk food. Some foods rich in potassium include white and sweet potatoes, bananas and white beans." The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends that women eat at least 4,700 mg of potassium daily. "Only 2.8 percent of women in our study met or went beyond this level. The World Health Organization's daily potassium recommendation for women is lower, at 3,510 mg or more. Still, only 16.6 percent of women we studied met or went beyond that," said Smoller. While increasing potassium intake is probably a good idea for most elderly women, there are some people who have too much potassium in their blood, which can be dangerous to the heart. "People should check with their doctor about how much potassium they should eat," she said. The study was observational and included only elderly women. Researchers also did not take sodium   intake into consideration, so the potential importance of a balance between sodium and potassium is not among the findings. Researchers said more studies are needed to determine whether potassium has the same effects on men and younger people. What conclusion can be drawn from the research findings?
Increasing potassium is definitely a good idea for all elderly women. Elderly women with high blood pressure benefit more from potassium. Potassium intake is more beneficial to those without high blood pressure. There was not any association between potassium intake and ischemic strokes.