Hyponatremia in the outpatient setting

Over the last two decades, the evidence has become increasingly clear that even relatively mild hyponatremia without obvious or severe symptoms is clinically relevant. It leads to neurocognitive impairments, gait instability and an increased risk of falling. Hyponatremia also increases the risk of osteoporosis through increased osteoclast activation, which, together with the higher risk of falling, leads to an increased fracture rate. Taken together, there are good arguments for attaching importance to sodium levels in the outpatient setting as well.