The patient, identified as I.N., 38, came to Hong Ngoc General Hospital in Hanoi with bilateral calf pain, muscle weakness, and difficulty walking, despite having no history of trauma.
Initial laboratory tests revealed severe hypokalemia, with serum potassium levels of around 2 mmol/L, a potentially life-threatening condition that can lead to cardiac arrhythmias, muscle damage, and other serious complications if left untreated.
According to the hospital, the patient had been diagnosed with hypertension more than four years earlier. During that time, she was treated with a combination of three antihypertensive medications, including Amlodipine, Perindopril, and Indapamide at maximal doses, but her blood pressure remained difficult to control and was accompanied by persistent headaches and chronic insomnia.
"I underwent medical evaluations in both Germany and Ukraine, but the cause could not be identified," the patient said. "My condition kept getting worse. Every time I tried to move, my body felt painful and exhausted."
Doctors at Hong Ngoc General Hospital said secondary causes should be considered in younger patients whose blood pressure remains uncontrolled despite intensive treatment. The medical team therefore conducted further investigations to determine the underlying cause.
