Hyperkalemia is the medical term that describes a potassium level in your blood that’s higher than normal. Potassium is a chemical that is critical to the function of nerve and muscle cells, including those in your heart.

Your blood potassium level is normally 3.6 to 5.2 millimoles per liter (mmol/L). Having a blood potassium level higher than 6.0 mmol/L can be dangerous and usually requires immediate treatment.

Often a report of high blood potassium isn’t true hyperkalemia. Instead, it may be caused by the rupture of blood cells in the blood sample during or shortly after the blood draw. The ruptured cells leak their potassium into the sample. This falsely raises the amount of potassium in the blood sample, even though the potassium level in your body is actually normal. When this is suspected, a repeat blood sample is done.

The most common cause of genuinely high potassium (hyperkalemia) is related to your kidneys, such as:

1. Acute kidney injury
2. Chronic kidney disease

Other causes of hyperkalemia include:

1. Addison’s disease (adrenal insufficiency)
2. Angiotensin II receptor blockers
3. Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors
4. Beta blockers
5. Dehydration (when the body doesn’t have enough water and other fluids to work as it should)
6. Destruction of red blood cells due to severe injury or burns
7. Excessive use of potassium supplements
8. Type 1 diabetes

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