Potassium Supplements for Hypertension

In the continuing search for better and safer ways to control hypertension, various nondrug therapies are widely advocated, and potassium supplements are often listed in the nondrug prescription. ¹ Grimm et al.,² reporting in this issue of the Journal, examined the antihypertensive effect of a large daily supplement of oral potassium chloride (96 mmol) taken for two years by 142 hypertensive patients (another 145 were given placebo). They found the supplement to be of no benefit. Before addressing the wider issues raised by this paper, a few important points about the design of the study should be noted. First, the.