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Horm Metab Res 2021; 53(12): 787-793
DOI: 10.1055/a-1685-0583
Endocrine Care

Incidence of Primary Aldosteronism in Patients with Hypokalemia (IPAHK+): Study Design and Baseline Characteristics

Sven Gruber
1   Department of Endocrinology, Diabetology and Clinical Nutrition, University Hospital Zurich and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
,
Evangelia Stasi
1   Department of Endocrinology, Diabetology and Clinical Nutrition, University Hospital Zurich and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
,
Regula Steiner
2   Institute for Clinical Chemistry, University Hospital Zurich and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
,
Martin Reincke
3   Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik IV, Klinikum der Universität München, Munich, Germany
,
Stefan Bornstein
4   Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
,
Felix Beuschlein 
1   Department of Endocrinology, Diabetology and Clinical Nutrition, University Hospital Zurich and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
3   Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik IV, Klinikum der Universität München, Munich, Germany
› Author Affiliations Funding The IPAHK+trial is funded by The National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) Kidney Control of Homeostasis (Kidney.CH) and was supported by the Clinical Research Priority Program of the University of Zurich for the CRPP HYRENE and by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) within the CRC/Transregio 205/1 “The Adrenal: Central Relay in Health and Disease“ to F.B., M.R., and S.R.B.
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Abstract

Hypokalemia plays a central role for case finding, course, treatment decision, and prognosis of patients with primary aldosteronism. However, to date there is a lack of high-level evidence about the incidence of primary aldosteronism in hypokalemic patients. The IPAHK+study is an epidemiological, cross-sectional, monocentric study to provide evidence on the incidence of PA in a hypokalemic population. The aim of the current analysis was to describe the baseline characteristics of the first 100 patients eligible for study inclusion. The recruitment of patients with hypokalemia (≤3 mmol/l) is carried out continuously on a referral-basis by the central laboratory of the University Hospital Zurich through an automated suitability testing and data delivery system. The careful evaluation of the first 100 reported patients was based on the available reporting system. Out of 28 140 screened patients, 222 (0.79%) were identified with a serum potassium value of≤3 mmol/l (mean 2.89±0.02 mmol/l). Mean potassium levels were slightly lower in non-hypertensive subjects compared to hypertensive subjects (mean difference 0.07 mmol/l, p=0.033), while no significant difference was found between the sexes and patients with and without the diagnosis of primary aldosteronism, atrial fibrillation, or the use of diuretics. The incidence of PA was 4% in the total population studied and 7.5% in the subgroup of hypertensive patients. In conclusion, the continuous enrollment of patients from the IPHAK+hypokalemia registry into the IPAHK+trial will provide evidence about the actual incidence of primary aldosteronism in a hypokalemic outpatient population.

Key words

hypertension - endocrine hypertension - potassium - hypopotassemia


Publication History

Received: 30 August 2021

Accepted after revision: 27 October 2021

Article published online:
10 December 2021

© 2021. Thieme. All rights reserved.

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