When a blood test ordered by your doctor indicates that you have too much potassium in your blood (hyperkalemia), you may be wondering why—and understandably so! This FKP Kidney Health blog post will explore the most common causes of hyperkalemia.
We’ll begin by discussing kidney dysfunction, particularly:
- The Kidneys’ Role in Potassium Regulation
- Impact of Kidney Dysfunction
- Progression of Hyperkalemia in Kidney Dysfunction
Next, we’ll review medications and treatments known to cause hyperkalemia. The topics we’ll cover in this section include:
- Understanding Medications Contributing to Hyperkalemia
- Mechanisms of Medication-Induced Hyperkalemia
- Treatment-Induced Hyperkalemia
The last part of this blog post—our third in our ongoing series about potassium disorders—will highlight prevention and management strategies:
- Regular Monitoring for High-Risk Patients
- Collaborative Care with Healthcare Providers
If you’ve been diagnosed with hyperkalemia, understanding the cause behind it can help you focus on all the steps you can take to return your potassium levels to the normal range.
Unlocking the Causes of Hyperkalemia: A Deep Dive into Kidney Dysfunction and Medications
Hyperkalemia means that you have too much potassium in your blood, and this is a cause for concern because it can initiate bothersome symptoms and even put you at risk of serious health complications. In this blog post—brought to you by your trusted healthcare providers at Florida Kidney Physicians (FKP)—we will discuss common triggers of hyperkalemia and explain the intricate connection between kidney dysfunction, medications, and treatments. Imparting our knowledge to you helps you better navigate your kidney health and be more aware of why your potassium levels are measured—and why the numbers they reveal matter.
Kidney Dysfunction
Even though your body needs potassium, too much can lead to kidney dysfunction.
- The Kidneys’ Role in Potassium Regulation
Your kidneys play a vital role in helping your body maintain its potassium balance. The kidneys are responsible for filtering excess potassium from the blood and ensuring it is excreted through your urine. If your kidneys are struggling to eliminate and regulate potassium, it could be a sign that your kidneys are not functioning properly, which warrants a closer look into your kidney health. - Impact of Kidney Dysfunction
If your kidneys are unable to maintain the necessary balance of potassium, your doctors will want to know what’s causing impaired potassium excretion. It could be that you have an underlying kidney condition such as chronic kidney disease (CKD) or acute kidney injury (AKI); both conditions can compromise your kidneys’ ability to effectively regulate this mineral and electrolyte. Your doctor will be intent on providing an accurate and timely diagnosis so you can receive the interventions necessary to protect and support your kidneys. - Progression of Hyperkalemia in Kidney Dysfunction
As your kidney function gradually declines, the risk of being diagnosed with hyperkalemia increases. That’s because when your kidneys don’t excrete as much potassium as they should, your body has no choice but to store all that excess potassium, which results in a buildup of potassium in your bloodstream. This, of course, will be reflected in your potassium level measurement—high potassium signals that you and your doctor must take action.
Medications and Treatments
Sometimes medications and treatments that are meant to help you can bring about unintended consequences. Here are some medications and treatments that can unintentionally cause hyperkalemia.
- Understanding Medications Contributing to Hyperkalemia
Certain medications are known to contribute to hyperkalemia. The most common culprits are the types of medications that directly affect your potassium levels, including blood pressure medications (ACE inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor blockers), potassium-sparing diuretics, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). If you are taking any of these medications, your doctor may need to re-evaluate your treatment plan with the understanding that their goal will be to address the original health concern while minimizing the impact on your potassium levels. - Mechanisms of Medication-Induced Hyperkalemia
How exactly do certain medications disrupt potassium balance? In the case of ACE inhibitors and ARBs, these types of blood pressure medications aim to relax the walls of your blood vessels so you don’t experience complications related to prolonged hypertension. As useful and effective as ACE inhibitors and ARBs are, they may inhibit the secretion of aldosterone, a hormone crucial for potassium regulation. The result? Elevated potassium levels. In the case of potassium-sparing diuretics, these medications encourage your kidneys to excrete excess sodium and water yet retain potassium. - Treatment-Induced Hyperkalemia
Blood transfusions or medications commonly prescribed for cancer patients could also be responsible for elevated potassium levels. When it comes to blood transfusions, an article published by National Library of Medicine notes that “massive blood transfusions can significantly elevate serum potassium levels.” The same can be said about cancer medications; these medications contain potent ingredients that have the ability to disrupt the delicate balance of potassium in your body. Even though blood transfusions and cancer medications are regarded as necessary, your doctor must regularly monitor your potassium levels when you undergo these types of interventions.
Prevention and Management
There are ways to prevent hyperkalemia. If, however, you have already been diagnosed with this condition, take comfort in knowing that there are ways to manage it.
- Regular Monitoring for High-Risk Patients
If you have a pre-existing kidney disease, you are more susceptible to developing hyperkalemia on account of impaired potassium excretion. To reiterate the points we addressed above, your risk of hyperkalemia increases if you are a cancer patient, have received a blood transfusion, or if you take certain medications. You can prevent your potassium levels from rising by visiting your doctor regularly and undergoing routine blood tests. A simple blood test can measure your potassium levels and allow your care team to address your potassium levels if the numbers appear to be trending toward the above-normal range. - Collaborative Care with Healthcare Providers
As always, FKP encourages you to stay in communication with your healthcare providers. If you are a patient at Florida Kidney Physicians, we ask that you contact us if ever you have questions about your medications or if you need to report any new or worsening symptoms or changes in your health status. A collaborative approach is key to preventing and managing hyperkalemia. Seeing those potassium numbers come down is a shared goal—and an achievable one!—and we’ll remain committed to utilizing our expertise and resources to develop a personalized treatment plan that will be most beneficial to you.
Empowering Through Knowledge and Collaboration
In this blog post, you learned about how your kidneys are responsible for maintaining a balance of electrolytes in your body. If your kidneys are impaired, they won’t be able to regulate potassium as well as they should. You may have chronic kidney disease (CKD) or acute kidney injury (AKI), or you could be taking certain medications or receiving treatments that are causing your body to store too much potassium. Unfortunately, as your kidney function declines, the risk of hyperkalemia increases. Visiting your doctor paves the way for regular monitoring of your potassium levels. If they are too high or are on the verge of becoming too high, your doctor can address this issue promptly, and then you’ll be able to rest easy knowing that your numbers will hopefully soon be within the range that’s considered normal for you.