Adequate intake of potassium does not cause hyperkalemia in hypertensive individuals taking medications that antagonize the renin angiotensin aldosterone system.

Background: Reduced potassium excretion caused by angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEis) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) may increase the risk of hyperkalemia (serum potassium concentration >5 mmol/L) in the setting of increased potassium intake.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of increasing dietary potassium on serum potassium concentration in hypertensive individuals with normal renal function treated with an ACEi or ARB. We hypothesized that an increase in dietary potassium would not provoke hyperkalemia in this population despite treatment with either an ACEi or ARB.

A high-sodium diet is associated with acute decompensated heart failure in ambulatory heart failure patients: a prospective follow-up study.

Background: A low-sodium diet is an accepted treatment of patients with heart failure (HF), although minimal evidence exists on the appropriate amount of sodium intake for this population. Certain HF guidelines have liberalized dietary sodium recommendations, which actually exceed guidelines for healthy adults.

Objectives: We tested the hypothesis that high sodium intake is related to acute decompensated HF (ADHF) in ambulatory HF patients.

Nutritional inadequacies in patients with stable heart failure.

Sodium restriction is the primary nutritional strategy in heart failure; however, other diet-related concerns may also occur. We characterized dietary intake among stable patients with heart failure and a non-heart-failure cardiac control group to quantify and determine prevalence of inadequate micronutrient intake. Two 3-day food records were completed by 123 patients with heart failure and 58 controls.