Targeted Potassium Levels for Prevention of ICD Therapy

There is solid evidence that potassium-sparing drugs increase survival and ameliorates symptoms in heart failure patients and post-hoc studies have suggested that high-normal levels of blood potassium levels (p-K) markedly decreases the risk of malignant arrhythmias in cardiovascular patients.

This trial will randomize patients implanted with implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs), who remain at high risk of life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias, to a standard therapy or standard therapy plus a regimen to keep high-normal p-K levels. The study will enroll 1,000 patients from the outpatient pacemaker clinics at Rigshospitalet and Gentofte hospital. Using a planned regime to increase p-K using inexpensive drugs and potassium supplements, the patients enrolled and followed with regular controls as well as continuous monitoring using existing home monitoring systems over a period of 4 years for the primary endpoint of appropriate ICD therapy and all cause mortality. Including analysis, the trial will be running for 5 years