Potassium (K)

Primary intracellular cation. Tight regulation is critical for cardiac rhythm.

Units

mmol/L

Reference (Male)

3.5 – 5.0 mmol/L

Reference (Female)

3.5 – 5.0 mmol/L

What it measures

Primary intracellular cation. Tight regulation is critical for cardiac rhythm.

What a high value can mean

Kidney disease, ACE-i/ARB/spironolactone, adrenal insufficiency, hemolyzed sample.

What a low value can mean

Diuretics, vomiting/diarrhea, hyperaldosteronism, insulin/glucose shifts.

Conditions it helps assess

Arrhythmia risk

Reading these numbers in context

Reference ranges describe the central 95 % of a healthy reference population — 5 % of perfectly healthy people fall outside any given range by definition. A single mildly abnormal value is rarely meaningful on its own. blood-test.life always interprets values together with related biomarkers before flagging.

Related biomarkers in Electrolytes

Sodium Na Primary extracellular cation. Dysregulation affects neurologic function. Calcium Ca Critical for nerve, muscle, bone, and clotting. Interpret with albumin or ionized calcium. Magnesium Mg Cofactor in 300+ enzymatic reactions. Commonly under-tested despite frequent subclinical deficiency.