Patient Led Research Hub

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Supplementing sodium to alleviate potassium wasting nephropathy: a randomised trial in Gitelman Syndrome

Gitelman Syndrome (GS) is a rare kidney disorder where magnesium, potassium and salt are wasted into the urine instead of being re-absorbed into the blood stream. Patients take high doses of multiple supplements every day to compensate for the lost electrolytes, but this causes unpleasant gastrointestinal side effects and presents a high medication burden.

Following the success of K+ Monitor, patients from Gitelman Syndrome UK proposed a study to investigate oral salt intake. A high-dose salt tablet may physiologically improve blood potassium and magnesium, reducing required medication and side effects.

Gitelman Syndrome UK, PLRH, Cambridge Clinical Trials Unit and expert nephrologists applied to three separate funding streams with variations of this proposal: Kidney Research UK, JP Moulton, and NIHR Research for Patient Benefit. Unfortunately we have not been successful, and thus are unable to continue work on this project.