Lesson of the week - Hypokalaemia and hypertension associated with use of liquorice flavoured chewing pum

Prolonged ingestion of substances containing glycyrrhizinic acid such as liquorice, is a well known cause of exogenously induced hypermineralocorticoidism. This is characterised by sodium retention, hypokalaemia, hypertension, metabolic alkalosis, and suppression of the renin-aldosterone system.(1) We describe two cases showing that hypokalaemia induced by glycyrrhizinic acid should be considered in patients with hypertension or oedema even if they have not eaten sweets that obviously contain liquorice.