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Association of sodium and potassium intake with ventricular arrhythmic burden in patients with essential hypertension

Maria E Marketou1, Evangelos A Zacharis, Fragiskos Parthenakis

  • 1Department of Cardiology, University Hospital of Heraklion, Crete, Greece. maryemarke@yahoo.gr

Journal of the American Society of Hypertension : JASH
|May 11, 2013
PubMed

Insights

A high urinary sodium to potassium ratio is linked to more ventricular arrhythmias in hypertensive patients. Dietary interventions are recommended to manage this risk and improve cardiovascular health.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Nephrology
  • Internal Medicine

Background:

  • Hypertension increases the risk of ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death.
  • High dietary salt intake is a significant contributor to cardiovascular complications in hypertensive individuals.
  • Dietary salt and potassium balance, assessed via urinary excretion, may influence arrhythmic burden.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between urinary sodium (UNa), urinary potassium (UK), and their ratio (UNa/K) with the occurrence of ventricular arrhythmias in patients with essential hypertension.
  • To determine if urinary electrolyte excretion patterns predict arrhythmic burden in well-controlled hypertensive patients.

Main Methods:

  • Inclusion of 255 adult patients with well-controlled essential hypertension presenting with chest pain or palpitations.
  • Performance of 24-hour ambulatory electrocardiograph monitoring for all participants.
  • Evaluation of 24-hour urinary excretion specimens to determine UNa, UK, and UNa/K ratio.

Main Results:

  • No significant correlation was observed between premature supraventricular contractions and the examined urinary parameters.
  • A weak positive association was found between the percentage of premature ventricular contractions (PVC%) and UNa (r = 0.2; P = .001).
  • A moderate negative association was noted between PVC% and UK (r = -0.396; P < .001), with the UNa/K ratio remaining significant after adjusting for left ventricular mass index (r = 0.437; P < .001).

Conclusions:

  • An elevated urinary sodium to potassium (UNa/K) excretion ratio is significantly associated with premature ventricular contractions (PVCs).
  • This suggests an increased susceptibility to ventricular arrhythmias in hypertensive patients, even with controlled blood pressure.
  • Findings support dietary modification recommendations for hypertensive populations to mitigate arrhythmia risk.
Abstract

Keywords:
Essential hypertensionurinary potassiumurinary sodiumventricular arrhythmias

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