Renal Outcomes and Dietary Potassium: The Overshadowed Electrolyte?

Smyth et al. examined the association between urinary sodium and potassium excretion and adverse renal outcomes in adults at high cardiovascular risk. They found no association between urinary sodium excretion and adverse renal outcomes, but a reduced odds of adverse renal outcomes with higher urinary potassium excretion. This finding is quite interesting and a major advancement from this study. It will be important to ascertain whether this finding holds true in individuals free from vascular disease and diabetes, as well as in patients with chronic kidney disease.