In this symposium, a multidisciplinary expert faculty will describe best practices for prevention and treatment of hyperkalemia, enabling HF patients to continue and optimize guideline-directed medical therapies (GDMTs). A “real-world” case will emphasize to HF clinicians the key messages and recommendations for clinical practice.
Renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitor (RAASi) therapy decreases cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in patients with heart failure (HF) Evidence-based HF guidelines support the titration of RAASi to achieve target doses to optimize treatment benefits. However, RAAS inhibitors (RAASis) also increase the risk of hyperkalemia. Hyperkalemia is an electrolyte disorder characterized by elevated levels of serum potassium; if left untreated, hyperkalemia can lead to fatal cardiac arrhythmias, cardiac arrest, and sudden death. Hyperkalemia is a barrier to optimization of RAASi therapy in patients with HF. Despite strong evidence for cardiorenal protective effects of RAASi, unfortunately down-titration or discontinuation of RAASi treatment is a common strategy to manage hyperkalemia in routine clinical practice; these actions place HF patients at increased risk of major adverse clinical events. Novel potassium binders effectively and safely lower serum potassium, enabling HF patients to remain on optimal guideline-recommended RAASi therapy. In this symposium, a multidisciplinary expert faculty will describe best practices for prevention and treatment of hyperkalemia, enabling HF patients to continue and optimize guideline-directed medical therapies (GDMTs). A “real-world” case will emphasize to HF clinicians key messages and recommendations for clinical practice.
or