POTASSIUM CITRATE VS POTASSIUM-CHLORIDE I N ESSENTIAL-HYPERTENSION - EFFECT ON HEMODYNAMIC, HORMONAL AND METABOLIC PARAMETERS

A study was conducted on 25 patients (18 men, seven women; mean age 48 [24-70] years) with essential hypertension (EH) to see whether an in crease in potassium supply influences blood pressure as well as metabo lic and hormonal parameters, and whether the anion administered togeth er with potassium affects the results. In a randomized, crossover tria l sequence the patients daily received 120 mmol potassium chloride, 12 0 mmol potassium and citrate or a placebo, each for 8 weeks. Between e ach of the three periods there was a ''wash-out'' phase of 4 weeks eac h. After 8 weeks of potassium citrate intake the systolic and diastoli c pressures were reduced significantly, by a mean of 6.2/3.8 mm Hg (P < 0.05). But after potassium chloride there was only a small, not sign ificant, reduction. Metabolic and hormonal parameters (fasting glucose concentration, glucose tolerance test, lipid electrophoresis; plasma renin activity, plasma concentration of aldosterone, noradrenaline and insulin) were not significantly changed. - These findings suggest tha t an increased supply of potassium has a favourable haemodynamic effec t, but this varies markedly between different potassium salts. An incr ease in potassium supply should thus be considered as an additional me asure in the treatment of EH. As long as renal function is normal no u nfavourable metabolic effect need be feared.