Elevation of serum potassium during beta blockade: absence of relationship to the renin-aldosterone system.

Eighteen patients with essential hypertension were treated in a single-blind, crossover study with pindolol and with propranolol. The two drugs were compared because of known differences between them on renin secretion. We noted that plasma renin activity and plasma aldosterone concentration were suppressed by propranolol but not by pindolol. Blood pressure was reduced about equally by both drugs. Serum potassium levels rose in 17 patients on pindolol (p < 0.001) and in 14 patients on propranolol (p = 0.08). Our data suggest that serum potassium elevations induced by beta blockade do not depend on the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system. Alternative possibilities are discussed.

RCT Entities:   Population Interventions Outcomes