[1] Low potassium also increases the risk of an abnormal heart rhythm, which is often too slow and can cause cardiac arrest.

[1][3] Causes of hypokalemia include vomiting, diarrhea, medications like furosemide and steroids, dialysis, diabetes insipidus, hyperaldosteronism, hypomagnesemia, and not enough intake in the diet.

[5] Mild hypokalemia is often without symptoms, although it may cause elevation of blood pressure,[6] and can provoke the development of an abnormal heart rhythm.

[citation needed] Potassium is essential for many body functions, including muscle and nerve activity.

This hyperpolarization is caused by the effect of the altered potassium gradient on resting membrane potential as defined by the Goldman equation.

[citation needed] In the heart, hypokalemia causes arrhythmias because of less-than-complete recovery from sodium-channel inactivation, making the triggering of an action potential less likely.

[1][26] Hypokalemia leads to characteristic ECG changes (PR prolongation, ST-segment and T-wave depression, U-wave formation).

[28] Treatment includes addressing the cause, such as improving the diet, treating diarrhea, or stopping an offending medication.

Foods rich in potassium include dried fruits (particularly apricots, prunes and figs), nuts, bran cereals and wheat germ, lima beans, molasses, leafy green vegetables, broccoli, winter squash, beets, carrots, cauliflower, potatoes, avocados, tomatoes, coconut water, citrus fruits (particularly oranges), cantaloupe, kiwis, mangoes, bananas, and red meats.

Potassium contained in foods is almost entirely coupled with phosphate and is thus ineffective in correcting hypokalemia associated with hypochloremia that may occur due to vomiting, diuretic therapy, or nasogastric drainage.

Additionally, replacing potassium solely through diet may be costly and result in weight gain due to potentially large amounts of food needed.

An effort should also be made to limit dietary sodium intake due to an inverse relationship with serum potassium.

[25] Faster infusion rates are therefore generally only performed in locations in which the heart rhythm can be continuously monitored such as a critical care unit.

[citation needed] Hypokalemia which is recurrent or resistant to treatment may be amenable to a potassium-sparing diuretic, such as amiloride, triamterene, spironolactone, or eplerenone.

[30] The plot of the science fiction novel Destiny's Road by Larry Niven centers around the setting's scarcity of available potassium, and the resulting deficiency and its effects on the world's colonists and their society.