Abstract
Hypokalemia is closely linked with the pathophysiology of primary
aldosteronism (PA). Although hypokalemic PA is less common than the
normokalemic course of the disease, hypokalemia is of particular importance
for the manifestation and development of comorbidities. Specifically, a
growing body of evidence demonstrates that hypokalemia in PA patients is
associated with a more severe disease course regarding cardiovascular and
metabolic morbidity and mortality. It is also well appreciated that low
potassium levels per se can promote or exacerbate hypertension. The spectrum
of hypokalemia-related symptoms ranges from asymptomatic courses to
life-threatening conditions. Hypokalemia is found in 9–37%
of all cases of PA with a predominance in patients with aldosterone
producing adenoma. Conversely, hypokalemia resolves in almost 100%
of cases after both, specific medical or surgical treatment of the disease.
However, to date, high-level evidence about the prevalence of primary
aldosteronism in a hypokalemic population is missing. Epidemiological data
are expected from the recently launched IPAHK+study
(“Incidence of Primary Aldosteronism in Patients with
Hypokalemia”).
Key words
primary aldosteronism - hypokalemia - potassium - hypertension
