Hipertensi adalah salah satu penyebab kematian utama di dunia dengan mortalitas akibat hipertensi sistolik 2,5 kali lipat lebih besar daripada mortalitas akibat hipertensi diastolik. Hipertensi yang tidak diobati menyebabkan komplikasi pada beberapa target organ seperti jantung, mata, ginjal, dan otak, sementara pengobatan hipertensi termasuk pengendalian diet harus dilakukan secara berkesinambungan sepanjang hidup. Guna menurunkan kasus-kasus hipertensi, suatu penelitian kuasi eksperimen dengan rancangan rangkaian waktu telah dilakukan di Panti Werdha Islamic Village Tangerang, Provinsi Banten, untuk mengamati pengaruh tambahan asupan kalium dalam diet terhadap penurunan tekanan darah sistolik. Buah-buahan yang lebih banyak ditambahkan ke dalam diet harian untuk 12 orang lanjut usia (lansia) dan tekanan darah mereka dipantau selama 14 hari. Uji t-independen dan t-dependen menunjukkan bahwa asupan tambahan kalium yang berasal dari buah-buahan dalam diet telah berhasil menurunkan tekanan darah sistolik. Sementara itu, tambahan buah-buahan juga telah meningkatkan asupan kalsium dan magnesium, tetapi peningkatan asupan kalsium dan magnesium serta lemak tidak berhubungan secara statistik dengan penurunan tekanan darah sistolik.

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Hypertension is one of the main causes of death in the world where the mortality from systolic is 2,5 fold higher than that from diastolic hypertension. Untreated hypertension can cause complications in target organs such as heart, eyes, kidneys, and brain, whereas the hypertension treatment including diet management must be conducted continuously along the life. In order to reduce hypertension cases, a time series design of quasi experiment research has been carried out at Islamic Village Elderly Nursing Home in Tangerang, Province of Banten, to observe the influence of additional potassium intake from diet. More fruits were added in the daily diet for 12 elderly and their blood pressures were monitored for 14 days. Statistic t-in- Pengaruh Tambahan Asupan Kalium dari Diet terhadap Penurunan Hipertensi Sistolik Tingkat Sedang pada Lanjut Usia The Influence of Additional Potassium Intake from Diet on Decreasing Medium Systolic Hypertension of Elderly dependent and t-dependent tests showed that additional potassium intake from fruits in the diet successfully decreased systolic blood pressure. Meanwhile, added fruits in the diet have significantly increased calcium and magnesium intakes, but additional calcium and magnesium as well as fat intakes were not statistically associated with decrease of systolic blood pressure.