Value of Liquid Potassium Magnesium Citrate in Controlling Hypertension

Overview

In the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) trials, a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, nuts and dairy products, and limited in fat content, was shown to be useful in controlling hypertension. Key components of such a diet are potassium, magnesium and alkali, each of which has been implicated in lowering blood pressure. Whether a liquid formulation of potassium-magnesium citrate will result in equivalent BP effect as the DASH diet is unknown.

Study Type

  • Study Type: Interventional
  • Study Design
    • Allocation: Randomized
    • Intervention Model: Crossover Assignment
    • Primary Purpose: Treatment
    • Masking: Double (Participant, Investigator)
  • Study Primary Completion Date: January 2015

Detailed Description

The DASH diet is rich in potassium and magnesium. It is also high in alkali content, since the anions are provided mostly by citrate rather than chloride. Considerable data are already available in the literature invoking a protective role on hypertension of potassium, magnesium and alkali. In this protocol, the investigators want to test the hypothesis that liquid potassium-magnesium citrate (KMgCit) as a pharmaceutical formulation could serve as a surrogate for the DASH diet, and would lower blood pressure among patients with pre- or Stage I hypertension on their customary diet. Each subject will participate in all four phases, chosen in random order. The four phases will be: Placebo Phase (microcrystalline cellulose in water), Potassium Chloride Phase (potassium chloride powder in water), Potassium Citrate Phase (potassium citrate powder in water), KMgCit Phase (KMgCit powder in water) During each phase, subjects will receive one of the test drugs for 4 weeks, followed by at least 1 week of withdrawal. Change in 24 hr BP, office BP will be measured at baseline and after each phase. Central aortic blood pressure and carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity, -terminal-telopeptide (CTX), 24 hr urine electrolytes will be measured at 4 weeks in each phase.

Interventions

  • Drug: Potassium chloride powder
  • Drug: Potassium magnesium Citrate (KMgCit)
  • Drug: Potassium citrate powder
  • Drug: Placebo

Arms, Groups and Cohorts

  • Experimental: Potassium magnesium Citrate (KMgCit) arm
    • Potassium magnesium citrate will be prepared by mixing potassium citrate, magnesium citrate and/or citric acid by Meta Pharm Development. The content of each sachet will be dissolved in 250 ml water and will be drunk with breakfast and again with dinner during the KMgCit Phase, to deliver 40 meq K, 20 meq Mg and 74 meq citrate per day for 4 weeks
  • Experimental: Potassium citrate arm
    • A special sachet formulation containing 20 meq K/sachet will be made for the study by Meta Pharm Development. The contents of a sachet will be added to 250 ml water and drunk with breakfast and dinner, to deliver 40 meq K (as citrate) per day during the Potassium Citrate Phase for 4 weeks.
  • Experimental: Potassium chloride arm
    • Potassium chloride will contain 20 meq KCl per sachet. During the Potassium Chloride Phase, subjects will dissolve the content of each sachet in 250 ml water and ingest it with breakfast and again with dinner, to deliver 40 meq K (as chloride) per day for 4 weeks
  • Placebo Comparator: Placebo
    • Placebo will comprise microcrystalline cellulose, equivalent in volume in each sachet as other test products. During the Placebo Phase, subjects will dissolve the entire content of a sachet in 250 ml water and drink it with breakfast and again with dinner for 4 weeks.

Clinical Trial Outcome Measures

Primary Measures

  • 24-hour Average Systolic Blood Pressure
    • Time Frame: 4 weeks
    • Systolic blood pressure was measured through an ambulatory blood pressure monitoring device worn by each participant for 24 hours after completing each treatment phase. This devise measures blood pressure intermittently throughout the day and night and provides the average of all readings.

Participating in This Clinical Trial

Inclusion Criteria

  • Patients with pre- or Stage I hypertension, with systolic blood pressure of 120-159 mm and diastolic of 80-99 mm – Age > 21 years of age Exclusion Criteria:

  • Diabetes mellitus, – Renal impairment (serum creatinine > 1.4 mg/dL), – Any heart diseases such as congestive heart failure or sustained arrhythmia, – Chronic NSAID use, – Treatment with diuretics, – Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) requiring treatment with acid reducing agents or antacid more than once a week, – Esophageal-gastric ulcer, – Chronic diarrhea – Hyperkalemia (serum > 4.6 mmol/L for patients on Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors or Angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB), serum K > 5.0 for patient not on ACE inhibitors or ARBs) – Liver function test above upper limit of normal range. – Subjects who require any potassium supplement on a regular basis from any reasons – Pregnancy – History of major depression, bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia – History of substance abuse.

Gender Eligibility: All

Minimum Age: 21 Years

Maximum Age: N/A

Are Healthy Volunteers Accepted: No

Investigator Details

  • Lead Sponsor
    • University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
  • Provider of Information About this Clinical Study
    • Principal Investigator: Wanpen Vongpatanasin, Professor – University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
  • Overall Official(s)
    • Wanpen Vongpatanasin, MD, Principal Investigator, UT Southwestern Medical Center

Citations Reporting on Results

He FJ, Markandu ND, Coltart R, Barron J, MacGregor GA. Effect of short-term supplementation of potassium chloride and potassium citrate on blood pressure in hypertensives. Hypertension. 2005 Apr;45(4):571-4. doi: 10.1161/01.HYP.0000158264.36590.19. Epub 2005 Feb 21.

Conlin PR, Erlinger TP, Bohannon A, Miller ER 3rd, Appel LJ, Svetkey LP, Moore TJ. The DASH diet enhances the blood pressure response to losartan in hypertensive patients. Am J Hypertens. 2003 May;16(5 Pt 1):337-42. doi: 10.1016/s0895-7061(03)00056-6.

He FJ, Marciniak M, Carney C, Markandu ND, Anand V, Fraser WD, Dalton RN, Kaski JC, MacGregor GA. Effects of potassium chloride and potassium bicarbonate on endothelial function, cardiovascular risk factors, and bone turnover in mild hypertensives. Hypertension. 2010 Mar;55(3):681-8. doi: 10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.109.147488. Epub 2010 Jan 18.

Lin PH, Aickin M, Champagne C, Craddick S, Sacks FM, McCarron P, Most-Windhauser MM, Rukenbrod F, Haworth L; Dash-Sodium Collaborative Research Group. Food group sources of nutrients in the dietary patterns of the DASH-Sodium trial. J Am Diet Assoc. 2003 Apr;103(4):488-96. doi: 10.1053/jada.2003.50065.

Lind L, Lithell H, Pollare T, Ljunghall S. Blood pressure response during long-term treatment with magnesium is dependent on magnesium status. A double-blind, placebo-controlled study in essential hypertension and in subjects with high-normal blood pressure. Am J Hypertens. 1991 Aug;4(8):674-9. doi: 10.1093/ajh/4.8.674.

China Salt Substitute Study Collaborative Group. Salt substitution: a low-cost strategy for blood pressure control among rural Chinese. A randomized, controlled trial. J Hypertens. 2007 Oct;25(10):2011-8. doi: 10.1097/HJH.0b013e3282b9714b.

Sellmeyer DE, Schloetter M, Sebastian A. Potassium citrate prevents increased urine calcium excretion and bone resorption induced by a high sodium chloride diet. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2002 May;87(5):2008-12. doi: 10.1210/jcem.87.5.8470.

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