Overview

• The randomized POTCAST trial enrolled about 1,200 Danish patients fitted with implantable cardioverter defibrillators.
• Researchers increased potassium via dietary counseling, supplements and mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist therapy, lifting average blood levels into the high‑normal range to roughly 4.4–4.5 mmol/L.
• Patients assigned to the potassium‑raising program saw an approximate 24% relative reduction in sustained arrhythmia, heart‑failure hospitalization or death.
• Absolute differences reported included 6.7% vs 10.7% for hospitalization due to irregular heartbeat and 3.5% vs 5.5% for heart failure.
• Findings were presented at the European Society of Cardiology congress with publication reported in NEJM, and commentators recommended food‑based increases while warning against unsupervised supplementation.