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Am J Clin Nutr. 2013 Sep 11. [Epub ahead of print] Potassium and fruit and vegetable intakes in relation to social determinants and access to produce in New York City. Loftfield E, Yi S, Curtis CJ, Bartley K, Kansagra SM. Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, and the NYC Department of Health & Mental Hygiene, New York, NY.

BACKGROUND: Potassium-rich diets are inversely associated with blood pressure. Potassium intake before this study had not been objectively measured by using potassium excretion in a population-based sample in the United States.

OBJECTIVES: The objectives of the analysis were to 1) report mean potassium excretion in a diverse urban population by using 24-h urine collections, 2) corroborate potassium excretion by using self-reported fruit and vegetable consumption, and 3) characterize associations between potassium excretion and socioeconomic indicators and access to produce.

DESIGN: Participants were from the 2010 Community Health Survey Heart Follow-Up Study-a population-based study including data from 24-h urine collections. The final sample of 1656 adults was weighted to be representative of New York City adults as a whole.

RESULTS: Mean urinary potassium excretion was 2180 mg/d, and mean self-reported fruit and vegetable intake was 2.5 servings/d. Adjusted urinary potassium excretion was 21% lower in blacks than in whites (P < 0.001), 13% lower in non-college graduates than in college graduates (P < 0.001), and 9% lower in the lowest-income than in the highest-income group (P = 0.03). Potassium excretion was correlated with fruit and vegetable intake. Most New York City residents reported a <10 min walk to fresh fruit and vegetables; this indicator of access was not associated with potassium excretion or fruit and vegetable intake.

CONCLUSIONS: Potassium intake is low in NYC adults, especially in lower socioeconomic groups. Innovative programs that increase fruit and vegetable intake may help increase dietary potassium and reduce hypertension-related disease. This trial is registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01889589.

PMID: 24025631