Treatment with potassium bicarbonate lowers calcium excretion and bone resorption in older men and women.

Abstract

CONTEXT:

Bicarbonate has been implicated in bone health in older subjects on acid-producing diets in short-term studies.

OBJECTIVE:

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of potassium bicarbonate and its components on changes in bone resorption and calcium excretion over 3 months in older men and women.

DESIGN, PARTICIPANTS, AND INTERVENTION:

In this double-blind, controlled trial, 171 men and women age 50 and older were randomized to receive placebo or 67.5 mmol/d of potassium bicarbonate, sodium bicarbonate, or potassium chloride for 3 months. All subjects received calcium (600 mg of calcium as triphosphate) and 525 IU of vitamin D(3) daily.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:

Twenty-four-hour urinary N-telopeptide and calcium were measured at entry and after 3 months. Changes in these measures were compared across treatment groups in the 162 participants included in the analyses.

RESULTS:

Bicarbonate affected the study outcomes, whereas potassium did not; the two bicarbonate groups and the two no bicarbonate groups were therefore combined. Subjects taking bicarbonate had significant reductions in urinary N-telopeptide and calcium excretion, when compared with subjects taking no bicarbonate (both before and after adjustment for baseline laboratory value, sex, and changes in urinary sodium and potassium; P = 0.001 for both, adjusted). Potassium supplementation did not significantly affect N-telopeptide or calcium excretion.

CONCLUSIONS:

Bicarbonate, but not potassium, had a favorable effect on bone resorption and calcium excretion. This suggests that increasing the alkali content of the diet may attenuate bone loss in healthy older adults.

• Authors: Bess Dawson-Hughes, Susan S Harris, Nancy J Palermo, Carmen Castaneda-Sceppa, Helen M Rasmussen, Gerard E Dallal
• Journal: The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism (J Clin Endocrinol Metab) Vol. 94 Issue 1 Pg. 96-102 (Jan 2009) ISSN: 0021-972X [Print] United States
• PMID: 18940881 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Randomized Controlled Trial)

Chemical References

• Bicarbonates
• Collagen Type I
• Peptides
• Potassium Compounds
• collagen type I trimeric cross-linked peptide
• Creatinine
• potassium bicarbonate
• Potassium
• Calcium

Topics

• Aged
• Bicarbonates (administration & dosage)
• Bone Resorption (prevention & control)
• Calcium (urine)
• Collagen Type I (urine)
• Creatinine (urine)
• Double-Blind Method
• Female
• Humans
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Peptides (urine)
• Potassium (blood)
• Potassium Compounds (administration & dosage)