AstraZeneca Pharma India Ltd., has launched K+ Connect, a pan-India multidisciplinary initiative focused on advancing the management of hyperkalemia in patients with heart failure (HF) and chronic kidney disease (CKD).
Hyperkalemia, or elevated potassium levels in the blood, is a common and often recurring complication in patients with HF and CKD. Chronic kidney disease affects approximately 850 million people globally and hyperkalemia represents a significant burden in this population. While hyperkalemia affects only 2–3% of the general population, its prevalence rises to 40–50% among patients with CKD, particularly in advanced stages. In India, the prevalence of chronic hyperkalemia is estimated at 13.24%, underlining the need for more proactive and consistent management.
Through K+ Connect, AstraZeneca is bringing together multidisciplinary experts from 33 leading centers across India to support a more standardized approach to hyperkalemia management, helping eligible patients remain on guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) with appropriate monitoring and clinical oversight.
“Hyperkalemia remains an under-recognized and dynamic risk in heart failure and chronic kidney disease, often leading to reactive rather than proactive treatment decisions. At AstraZeneca, we see a clear opportunity to help shift this approach by supporting earlier risk recognition, stronger clinical alignment, and more practical integration of evidence into routine care. Through K+ Connect, we aim to enable a more structured approach that supports treatment continuity and strengthens long-term patient care,” said Dr. Sandeep Arora, Director, Medical Affairs, AstraZeneca Pharma India Ltd.
The initiative will be delivered in two phases. The first will focus on clinician alignment across cardiology, nephrology, internal medicine, emergency medicine, pharmacy, and nursing, to build a shared understanding of hyperkalemia’s recurrence, risk, and impact on treatment continuity. The second will use case-based workshops to develop consensus-driven institutional pathways covering screening, treatment thresholds, monitoring, escalation criteria, and care coordination across inpatient and outpatient settings.
Anchored by a national network that includes Max Healthcare, Delhi; Jaslok Hospital, Mumbai; Apollo Hospitals, Bengaluru; and Yashoda Hospital, Hyderabad, along with 29 additional tertiary care centers, K+ Connect aims to strengthen multidisciplinary coordination and promote more consistent care practices across settings.
“For patients living with chronic kidney disease, heart failure, or diabetes, hyperkalemia is a recurring and potentially life-threatening condition that demands sustained, long-term management. Yet awareness among both patients and healthcare professionals about the risks of chronic and recurrent hyperkalemia remains alarmingly low. Multidisciplinary team meetings have been instrumental in changing this narrative by bringing together cardiologists, nephrologists, diabetologists, and dieticians to help ensure no patient falls through the cracks. AstraZeneca’s commitment to supporting these conversations and fostering cross-specialty collaboration has been invaluable in shifting our approach from reactive to proactive care,” said Dr. Umapati Hegde, MD, DNB, Vice Chairman, Department of Nephrology, M P U Hospital, Nadiad, Gujarat.
“By bringing together nephrologists, cardiologists, intensivists, dietitians, and nursing teams with one collaborative framework, we can help ensure that patients at risk, particularly those with chronic kidney disease, heart failure, or receiving RAASi therapy, receive consistent, evidence-based care rather than fragmented management. Early identification, structured monitoring, and coordinated treatment pathways can reduce emergency presentations, prevent treatment interruptions, and ultimately save lives. This is the kind of cross-specialty collaboration our patients deserve,” said Dr. Rushi Deshpande, MD, DM, DNB (Nephrology), Consultant Nephrologist and Renal Transplant Physician, Mumbai.
AstraZeneca’s role in K+ Connect is to convene stakeholders, support scientific exchange, and provide evidence-based and operational support. Clinical decisions and protocol adoption will remain under the governance of the participating institutions.
