Sodium Bicarbonate Prescription and Extracellular Volume Increase: Real-world Data Results from the AlcalUN Study

Oral alkalization with sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) or citrate is prescribed for conditions ranging from metabolic acidosis to nephrolithiasis. Although most nephrologists/urologists use this method routinely, extracellular volume (ECV) increase is the main feared adverse event reported for NaHCO3. Thus far, no trial has specifically studied this issue in a real-world setting. AlcalUN (NCT03035812) is a multicentric, prospective, open-label cohort study with nationwide (France) enrollment in 18 (public and private) nephrology/urology units. Participants were adult outpatients requiring chronic (>1 month) oral alkalization by either NaHCO3-containing or no-NaHCO3-containing agents. The ECV increase (primary outcome) was judged based on body weight increase (Delta BW), blood pressure increase (Delta BP), and/or new-onset edema at the first follow-up visit (V1). From February 2017 to February 2020, 156 patients were enrolled. After a median 106 days of treatment, 91 (72%) patients reached the primary outcome. They had lower systolic (135 (125, 141) vs. 141 (130, 150), P = 0.02) and diastolic (77 (67, 85) vs. 85 (73, 90), P = 0.03) BP values, a higher plasma chloride (106.0 (105.0, 109.0) vs. 105.0 (102.0, 107.0), P = 0.02) at baseline, and a less frequent history of nephrolithiasis (32 vs. 56%, P = 0.02). Patients experienced mainly slight Delta BP (< 10 mmHg). The primary outcome was not associated (P = 0.79) with the study treatment (129 received NaHCO3 and 27 received citrate). We subsequently developed three different models of propensity score matching; each confirmed our results. Chronic oral alkalization with NaHCO3 is no longer associated with an ECV increase compared to citrate in real-life settings.