Association of serum sodium minus chloride level at initiation of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers and hyperkalemia in patients with CKD: a case control study

Table 1 Clinical characteristics of this cohort

Characteristics	Na − Cl < 33.5 group (N = 403)	Na − Cl ≥ 33.5 group (N = 740)	p-Value
Age^a	68.2 ± 13.6	67.7 ± 13.7	0.55
Male^a	271 (67.2%)	472 (63.8%)	0.27
Diabetes^a	355 (88.1%)	673 (90.9%)	0.15
Drugs increasing serum potassium^a	51 (12.7%)	99 (13.4%)	0.80
Drugs decreasing serum potassium^a	144 (35.7%)	222 (33.0%)	0.06
eGFR (mL/min/1.73 m²)^a	41.8 ± 13.3	47.2 ± 10.9	< 0.001
Serum potassium level (mEq/L)^a	4.31 ± 0.35	4.18 ± 0.42	< 0.001
Hypoalbuminemia^a	236 (58.6%)	275 (37.2%)	< 0.001
Incidence of hyperkalemia^b	37 (9.2%)	34 (4.6%)	0.003

Values are mean ± standard deviation or number (%)
Mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists and tolvaptan were defined as the drugs that increase serum potassium level
Gastrointestinal cation exchangers, loop diuretics, thiazide diuretics, acetazolamide, and bicarbonate supplementation were defined as the drugs that decrease serum potassium level
eGFR, estimated glomerular filtration rate; Na − Cl < 33.5 group, patients with serum sodium minus chloride levels < 33.5 mEq/L at the initiation of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACE-I) or angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB); Na − Cl ≥ 33.5 group, patients with serum sodium minus chloride levels ≥ 33.5 mEq/L at the initiation of ACE-I or ARB
^aAt initiation of ACE-I or ARB
^bAt the first blood test after the initiation of ACE-I or ARB

ISSN: 2059-1381