Why carry out this study?

Medical nutrition therapy (MNT) is frequently provided to patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) to address their nutritional needs and reduce the risk of CKD complications.

CKD is associated with an increased risk of hyperkalemia; although MNT can help patients to manage their dietary intake of potassium, it is not known whether MNT alone is sufficient to prevent hyperkalemia recurrence.

The aim of this retrospective, observational, cohort study was to evaluate the relationship between MNT and hyperkalemia recurrence in patients with stage 3–4 CKD who received MNT within 30 days after a hyperkalemia event.

What was learned from the study?

During the 6-month follow-up period, 56.0% of patients had ≥ 1 hyperkalemia recurrence (mean of 2.6 distinct recurrences); the mean time to first recurrence was 45 days, with the time between recurrences decreasing with subsequent hyperkalemia episodes.

This study showed that hyperkalemia is a chronic, recurring condition for the majority of patients with stage 3–4 CKD, and that MNT alone was insufficient to prevent its recurrence.

The results of this study suggest that additional long-term treatment, such as novel potassium binders, may be necessary to prevent hyperkalemia recurrence in patients with stage 3–4 CKD and hyperkalemia.