Association of antihypertensive monotherapy with serum sodium and potassium levels in Chinese patients

Jiang, J.Y., Wong, M.C., Ali, M.K., Griffiths, S. and Mercer, S.W. (2009) Association of antihypertensive monotherapy with serum sodium and potassium levels in Chinese patients. American Journal of Hypertension, 22(3), pp. 243-249. (doi: 10.1038/ajh.2008.359)

Abstract

<b>Background</b> International guidelines on management of hypertension recommend any major classes of antihypertensive drugs. However, the low prescribing rate of thiazides has been attributed to concerns about electrolyte disturbances and studies between antihypertensive drug classes and hyponatremia/hypokalemia among Chinese patients were scarce. <p></p> <b>Methods</b> From clinical databases we included 2,759 patients who received their first-ever antihypertensive monotherapy from January 2004 to June 2007 in a large territory of Hong Kong. We studied the plasma sodium and potassium levels 8 weeks after prescriptions and factors associated with hyponatremia and hypokalemia by multivariable regression analyses. <p></p> <b>Results</b> Among major antihypertensive drug classes, thiazide users had the lowest sodium level (139.6 mEq/l, 95% confidence interval (CI) 139.3, 140.0, P < 0.001) and patients-prescribed calcium channel blockers (CCBs; 3.92 mEq/l, 95% CI 3.89, 3.95) or thiazide diuretics (3.99 mEq/l, 95% CI 3.93, 4.04) had the lowest potassium levels (P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis reported that advanced age (>/=70 years, odds ratio (OR) 7.49, 95% CI 2.84, 19.8, P < 0.001), male gender (OR 2.38, 95% CI 1.45, 3.91, P < 0.001), and thiazide users (OR 2.42, 95% CI 1.29, 4.56, P = 0.006) were significantly associated with hyponatremia, while renin-angiotensin system (RAS) (OR 0.31, 95% CI 0.13, 0.73, P = 0.008) and beta-blockers (BBs) (OR 0.35, 95% CI 0.23, 0.54, P < 0.001) users were less likely to present with hypokalemia. However, the proportions having normonatremic (95.1%) and normokalemic (89.4%) levels were high. <p></p> <b>Conclusions</b> In view of the low prevalence of hyponatremia and hypokalemia associated with thiazides, physicians should not be deterred from prescribing thiazide diuretics as first-line antihypertensive agents as recommended by most international guidelines.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Mercer, Professor Stewart
• Authors: Jiang, J.Y., Wong, M.C., Ali, M.K., Griffiths, S., and Mercer, S.W.
• Subjects: R Medicine > RC Internal medicine; R Medicine > RM Therapeutics. Pharmacology
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Health & Wellbeing > General Practice and Primary Care
• Journal Name: American Journal of Hypertension
• Publisher: Nature
• ISSN: 1941-7225
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2008 Nature
• First Published: First published in American Journal of Hypertension January 2008
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher.