Potassium plays a vital role in the body including helping muscles, like the heart, to expand and contract. However, high levels of potassium can build up in the blood, also known as hyperkalemia, if the kidneys are unable to filter it properly.1
Hyperkalemia is often associated with cardiovascular, renal and metabolic diseases like chronic kidney disease (CKD), heart failure, hypertension, and diabetes but can also be caused by medicines used to treat these conditions called renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitors (RAASi).2 Although hyperkalemia is estimated to affect approximately 3.5 million people living with CKD and/or heart failure in the United States2, it is often underdiagnosed as many with the condition show only mild or no symptoms.3
The Importance of Monitoring Potassium Levels
It’s important for those at risk of hyperkalemia to be aware of symptoms that may indicate very high potassium levels in the blood, which may include3:
Irregular heartbeats, also known as cardiac arrhythmia
Muscle weakness
Numbness or tingling
Nausea or vomiting
Some of these symptoms may be mild and easy to dismiss, coming and going or gradually developing over weeks or months.3
Routine blood tests are the only way to consistently monitor potassium levels and ensure they remain within a normal range, between 3.5 and 5.0 mEq/L.3 If left untreated, hyperkalemia can become severe and may lead to serious health issues, including heart attack.1
Barb’s Story
While in her early 60s, Barb committed herself to bettering her health and became an avid gym-goer. Despite her dedication to a healthy lifestyle, Barb noticed her creatinine levels had risen after reviewing results from a blood panel taken at her annual physical. After an eight-month wait to see a nephrologist, she was diagnosed with stage 4 CKD without experiencing any symptoms.
Barb’s nephrologist took a “watch-and-wait” approach to her kidney disease, recommending she “live in moderation.” After two years, Barb grew frustrated with her lack of care and reached out to a new nephrologist, who came highly recommended by her cardiologist and primary care physician. This new specialist diagnosed Barb with hyperkalemia at her first appointment.
“After two years, I felt like, ‘Maybe I have someone who can help me get a handle on my kidney disease and hyperkalemia,’” remembers Barb.
Finding the Right Treatment for Hyperkalemia for Barb
In partnership with her new nephrologist, Barb started a treatment plan that included medication and lifestyle changes to manage her potassium levels. Barb was prescribed a potassium (K+) binder recommended for the treatment of hyperkalemia4-5 that worked well for her. “I'm very grateful to have found a medication that works for me," says Barb. "And I'm going to stay on it long-term as my doctor recommended.”
Barb’s Advice to Others
It took Barb thoroughly reviewing her own lab results and advocating for her own health to receive an accurate diagnosis of CKD and hyperkalemia. Partnership with a doctor and other health care professionals who play an active role is vital in your care and achieving the best possible health outcomes.
“Find doctors that you can work with—ones that you can trust and can find the right treatment options for you,” advises Barb. “Assemble a team you feel comfortable with. Find out what’s going on [with your health] and get yourself a team that can answer those questions for you.”
Barb’s story is one of many that highlights the real impact of high potassium, and AstraZeneca is dedicated to sharing these experiences to inspire patients to take action. We invite you to tell your story and join the AstraZeneca US Patient Voices Network, a nationwide AstraZeneca program for patients and caregivers. Sharing your unique experience could help educate and inspire others: azuspatientvoiceteam@edelman.com
References:
1. Cleveland Clinic. Hyperkalemia (High Potassium): Symptoms & Treatment. Cleveland Clinic. Accessed
April 9, 2025. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/15184-hyperkalemia-high-blood-
2. Betts KA, Wooley JM, Mu F, et al. The prevalence of hyperkalemia in the United States. Curr Med Res
Opin. 2018;34(6):971-978.
3. National Kidney Foundation. Potassium. Accessed April 9, 2025. https://www.kidney.org/kidney-
4. Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) CKD Work Group. KDIGO 2024 clinical practice
guideline for the evaluation and management of chronic kidney disease. Kidney Int. 2024;105
(4S):S117-S314.
5. Heidenreich PA, Bozkurt B, Aguilar D, et al. 2022 AHA/ACC/HFSA guideline for the management of
heart failure: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association joint
committee on clinical practice guidelines. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2022;79(17):e263-e421.
doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2021.12.012
US-99598 Last Updated 4/25