Abstract

The action of K+ on arterial pressure, particularly when the ion is administered by mouth in quantities considered to be over normal, has been widely reported in recent literature. In this study, changes in arterial pressure and heart rate were measured during exercise on an ergometer bicycle continued to the point of muscular exhaustion carried out by normal subjects and individuals with a family history of hypertension or with borderline hypertension. The test was run under two different experimental conditions: firstly after a short time on a low K+ content diet: secondly after the same length of time an a high K+ diet. Arterial pressure and heart rate followed a similar curve for both groups of subjects examined under both sets of experimental conditions, although blood pressures measured after the high K+ diet were substantially lower than those measured after a low K+ diet. This difference does not, however, attain statistical significance. The possible interpretations of the results obtained are discussed. Verf.-Referat