Effect of low-molecular-weight heparin on potassium homeostasis.

Background: Low-molecular-weight heparins (LMWHs) are being preferred to unfractionated heparin (UFH) because of their superior convenience and a comparable or slightly better toxicity profile. Whether LMWH has an inhibitory effect on aldosterone that causes hyperkalemia is yet uncertain.

Methods: Twenty-eight patients (all male; mean age: 70 years, range 52-87 years) placed on LMWH therapy (40 mg subcutaneously every 12 h) for deep venous thrombosis prophylaxis after an operation were included in the study.

Hyperhomocysteinemia and the risk of thromboembolic phenomenon in patients with chronic renal failure.

Thromboembolic phenomena are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with end-stage renal disease. Studies in patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) have demonstrated an increased relative risk of coronary artery disease (CAD) in association with hyperhomocysteinemia (HHe). However, very little data exist about the causal relationship between HHe and cerebrovascular diseases (CVA) in patients with CRF.