Table 3.
Side effects stratified by highest prescribed dosage of spironolactone
| ≤ 50 mg daily (N = 83) | > 50 mg daily (N = 57) | Total (N = 140) | P | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All side effects | 41 (49.4%) | 40 (70.2%) | 81 (57.9%) | 0.014 |
| Electrolyte derangements | 20 (24.1%) | 25 (43.9%) | 45 (32.1%) | 0.014 |
| Hyperkalemia | 9 (10.8%) | 21 (36.8%) | 30 (21.4%) | <0.001 |
| Rise in creatinine | 14 (16.9%) | 13 (22.8%) | 27 (19.3%) | 0.38 |
| Anti-androgenic side effects (male) | 12/52 (23.1%) | 18/37 (48.6%) | 30/89 (33.7%) | 0.012 |
| Gynecomastia | 9/52 (17.3%) | 16/37 (43.2%) | 25/89 (28.1%) | 0.007 |
| Breast pain | 7/52 (13.5%) | 4/37 (10.8%) | 11/89 (12.4%) | 0.71 |
| Decreased libido | 1/52 (1.9%) | 3/37 (8.1%) | 4/89 (4.5%) | 0.17 |
| Mastalgia (female) | 0/31 (0.0%) | 1/20 (5.0%) | 1/51 (2.0%) | 0.21 |
| Hypotension | 5 (6.0%) | 2 (3.5%) | 7 (5.0%) | 0.50 |
| Hyponatremia | 2 (2.4%) | 1 (1.8%) | 3 (2.1%) | 0.79 |
| Gastrointestinal intolerance | 5 (6.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | 5 (3.6%) | 0.059 |
| Others | 2 (2.4%) | 3 (5.3%) | 5 (3.6%) | 0.37 |
| Action taken | ||||
| No action | 46 (55.4%) | 26 (45.6%) | 72 (51.4%) | <0.001 |
| Decreased dose | 11 (13.3%) | 24 (42.1%) | 35 (25.0%) | |
| Change to eplerenone or amiloride | 13 (15.7%) | 3 (5.3%) | 16 (11.4%) | |
| Stopped medications | 13 (15.7%) | 4 (7.0%) | 17 (12.9%) |
Data are presented as number (percent).