Table 2.1 (cont.) Laboratory Tests Related to Eating Disorders Test
Relationship to eating disorders
Potassium (K) Indicator of nutrition status
Elevated in cases of
Dehydration due to inadequate fluid intake
Untreated diabetes Excessive intake of foods high in vitamin K, excessive vitamin K supplementation
Tissue injury Addison’s disease Hypoaldosteronism Kidney failure Overuse of some medications, eg, nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), beta blockers, angiotensin- converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, and potassium-sparing diuretics
Decreased in cases of
Refeeding syndrome Malnutrition Vomiting Dehydration due to diarrhea Acetaminophen overdose Hyperaldosteronism Abuse of diuretics Normal use of some medica- tions, eg, corticosteroids; alpha- and beta-adrenergic agonists; some antibiot- ics, such as gentamicin and carbenicillin; and the antifungal agent ampho- tericin B