Potassium and calcium intake, excretion, and homeostasis in blacks, and their relation to blood pressure.

Blacks in the United States have higher blood pressures than whites. They ingest and excrete less calcium and potassium. There is some evidence that blacks have a difference in vitamin D metabolism that might increase any problem caused by low calcium intake. Some studies can be interpreted to suggest that calcium or potassium therapy has greater hypotensive effects in blacks than in whites. Decreased intake of calcium and potassium may be major causes of the greater prevalence of hypertension in blacks than in whites.