Low potassium levels may be reason for type 2 diabetes disparity among African Americans and Caucasians

(Source: Endocrine Web, 05 March 2011)
African Americans are almost twice as likely to develop type 2 diabetes than Caucasians, according to the American Diabetes Association. Now, a new study has shown that potassium levels may be one of the leading causes of this disparity.

Researchers from Johns Hopkins University reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition that African Americans tend to have significantly lower levels of potassium in their blood than Caucasians. This may be one of the leading reasons why they also have much higher rates of type 2 diabetes. Several previous studies showed that low potassium levels significantly increase the risk for diabetes. Increasingly, medical professionals are coming to recognize this as a major risk factor for diabetes. Read more