The article highlights the need to better understand the clinical significance of mild hyperkalemia in patients receiving renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitors.
The immediate consequences of acute, severe hyperkalemia are well recognized in medicine. High extracellular potassium levels result in decreased cardiac membrane potential resulting in fatal arrhythmias, including ventricular fibrillation, asystole, and cardiac arrest. Chronic kidney disease, diabetes mellitus, heart failure, and their associated medications that interfere with the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system predispose patients to hyperkalemia and associated acute adverse outcomes. Although the association between severe hyperkalemia and increased mortality is well established, the clinical significance of mild hyperkalemia remains poorly described.
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Sophia L. Ambruso (2021) studied this question.
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