DASH diet may not cause high potassium with some blood pressure meds

• Current analysis offered at an American Coronary heart Affiliation (AHA) convention discovered that the potassium-rich DASH weight-reduction plan didn’t elevate blood potassium to unsafe ranges in adults taking widespread blood strain medicines.
• Nonetheless, folks with superior continual kidney illness or chronically excessive potassium ranges ought to nonetheless keep away from excessive potassium diets.
• Specialists advise that the 4,700 mg of day by day potassium within the examine is troublesome to attain for most individuals, however meals equivalent to leafy greens, bananas, avocados, and salmon might help.
• Healthcare professionals can work alongside sufferers taking hypertension medicine to assist them create an individualized consuming plan and monitor for any indicators of hyperkalemia.

Hyperkalemia is a possible severe facet impact of sure blood strain medicines, including angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) and angiotensin changing enzyme inhibitors (ACE inhibitors).

They discovered that the DASH weight-reduction plan didn’t elevate blood potassium to unsafe ranges.

The abstracts offered on the convention are thought of preliminary till they’re printed in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.

Individuals within the examine didn’t expertise any important improve in blood potassium after following the potassium-rich DASH weight-reduction plan for 12 weeks.

Researchers analyzed knowledge from 356 Black adults from the better Boston space who have been collaborating in GoFresh and GoFreshRx trials. 70% of members have been ladies, and the common age was 53 years.

Individuals both obtained DASH-patterned groceries or a financial stipend to buy acceptable meals for the consuming plan, which offered round 4,700 milligrams (mg) of potassium per day.

At the beginning of the examine, the common serum potassium at baseline was 4.16 millimoles per liter (mmol/L) within the group receiving groceries and 4.18 mmol/L within the group buying their very own meals.

After 12 weeks, the examine authors famous “no important improve in potassium ranges” in both group.

David Rhee, MD, board licensed heart specialist with Manhattan Cardiology in NYC, and contributor to LabFinder.com, informed Medical Information As we speak:

“The kidney is unmatched in its capacity to self-regulate the excretion of water and electrolytes. Sure, generally the kidney can get issues mistaken too, particularly if we add medicines or illnesses to the combo, however this examine additional helps that the kidney is ready to deal with a dietary potassium load by appropriately growing potassium secretion even in sufferers with hypertension and medicines that work via the kidneys.”

Rhee, who was not concerned within the examine, added that “food-based potassium is absorbed into the bloodstream extra slowly than potassium chloride dietary supplements.”

Cheng-Han Chen, MD, board licensed interventional heart specialist and medical director of the Structural Coronary heart Program at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Middle in Laguna Hills, CA, additionally spoke with MNT concerning the analysis.

“Whereas we have now historically exercised warning earlier than recommending the DASH weight-reduction plan in sufferers who’re prescribed ACE inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers, or potassium-sparing diuretics, these outcomes present that these sufferers might probably undertake the DASH weight-reduction plan with out important concern for hurt,” mentioned Chen, who was additionally not concerned within the examine.

These following the DASH weight-reduction plan didn’t expertise any harmful modifications in kidney operate.

Nonetheless, the researchers famous within the press launch that “future analysis ought to give attention to members with suboptimal kidney operate.” Kidney illness can increase serum potassium as a consequence of a decreased capacity to successfully filter potassium.

That is extra widespread with superior kidney issues, however this examine didn’t embrace members with stage 4 or 5 kidney illness.

In addition they didn’t embrace folks with higher-than-average baseline serum potassium.

“Typically, folks with superior continual kidney illness or identified continual excessive potassium ranges ought to nonetheless keep away from a excessive potassium weight-reduction plan,” cautioned Chen.

“As soon as we enter into superior kidney illness territory (stage 4-5), hyperkalemia poses a major danger and sufferers (on or off these blood strain medicines) mustn’t intentionally improve their potassium consumption. If something, they’ll typically must lower the potassium consumption,” Rhee added.

Individuals within the examine had round 4,700 mg of potassium every day. We requested Rhee whether or not this quantity of potassium day by day was sensible and acceptable for most individuals with hypertension.

“4.7 grams [4,700 mg] of potassium is absolutely, actually onerous to attain. Most of us absorb about 2 to 3 grams [2,000 to 3,000 mg] per day. We must always nonetheless attempt to try for 3 to five grams [3,000 to 5,000 mg] (by way of leafy greens, potatoes, legumes, bananas, avocados, and salmon),” he defined.

Rhee added that “[t]he finest weight-reduction plan is the one you possibly can maintain, and I like to recommend sufferers who’re dedicated to optimizing their weight-reduction plan for well being advantages associate with a nutritionist […] to have the most effective probability for fulfillment.”

Rhee additionally suggested that folks with a historical past of any of the next ought to hunt down an individualized weight-reduction plan with a healthcare skilled:

Because the examine discovered that growing potassium consumption via the DASH weight-reduction plan didn’t trigger harmful will increase in blood potassium, we wished to know whether or not this is able to change how healthcare professionals may take into consideration recommending potassium-rich meals to sufferers taking blood strain medicine.

“So long as the kidney operate will not be impaired, I’ve already been recommending potassium-rich vegatables and fruits to my sufferers with hypertension with or with out medicines,” mentioned Rhee. “However now I really feel extra assured and can probably cite this examine to reassure the affected person.”

“It’s not simply the blood strain medicines that may elevate potassium ranges. There’s a lengthy checklist of meds that pose a danger of hyperkalemia, particularly together with one another or with a selected illness state. With any important way of life change (even when it’s proposed to be a wholesome one), I all the time advise you focus on it along with your healthcare supplier first.”
— David Rhee, MD

“The examine findings reinforce what lots of clinicians have already been doing, however now we will really feel extra assured that our recommendation is evidence-based. I commend the researchers,” Rhee concluded.