Maternal History of Hypertension and Blood Pressure Response to Potassium Intake The GenSalt Study

The relation between parental history of hypertension and blood pressure response to potassium intake is unknown. A 7-day high-sodium followed by a 7-day high-sodium plus potassium dietary-feeding study was conducted from 2003 to 2005 among 1,871 Chinese participants. Those with a maternal history of hypertension had larger systolic blood pressure responses to potassium compared with those without: 4.31 (95 confidence interval (CI): 4.99, 3.62) mm Hg versus 3.35 (95 CI: 4.00, 2.70) mm Hg, respectively (P-difference 0.002). A consistent trend was observed for diastolic blood pressure responses: 1.80 (95 CI: 2.41, 1.20) mm Hg versus 1.35 (95 CI: 1.95, 0.74) mm Hg, respectively (P 0.07). Stronger associations between early onset maternal hypertension and blood pressure responses were noted, with systolic blood pressure decreases of 4.80 (95 CI: 5.65, 3.95) mm Hg versus 3.55 (95 CI: 4.17, 2.93) mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure decreases of 2.25 (95 CI: 3.01, 1.50) mm Hg versus 1.42 (95 CI: 1.99, 0.85) mm Hg among those with early onset maternal hypertension versus those without, respectively (P 0.001 and 0.009, respectively). Odds ratios for high potassium sensitivity were 1.36 (95 CI: 0.96, 1.92) and 1.60 (95 CI: 1.08, 2.36) for those with maternal hypertension and early onset maternal hypertension, respectively (P 0.08 and 0.02, respectively). Potassium supplementation could help to reduce blood pressure among those with a maternal history of hypertension.