title: A new monitoring method for the estimation of body fluid status by digital weight scale incorporating bioelectrical impedance analyzer in definite heart failure patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This pilot study examined the feasibility of monitoring changes in body weight and body-fat percentage (BF%) using commercially available digital weight scale incorporating bioelectrical impedance analyzer (HBF-352-W, Omron Healthcare Co, Kyoto, Japan) to estimate changes in body fluid status in definite heart failure (HF) patients during follow-up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 64 patients completed a prospective study (June 2003-December 2006). During the study period, 38 patients developed worsening HF over a mean duration of 34 +/- 3 days from the most recent visit with clinical stability to the time of worsening HF status. Of these, 32 patients (84%) showed an increase in body weight concurrent with a decrease in BF% during deterioration. During recovery (n = 35), all but 1 patient showed a decrease in body weight concurrent with an increase in BF%. Combined monitoring of both body weight and BF% provides quite excellent predictive accuracy (70%, 95% CI 59-81%) for identifying worsening HF status when compared with a sole body weight monitoring (56%, 95% CI 44-68%]) (cutoff point of body weight gain >or=1.5 kg).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  New monitoring method reported here is an effective tool for specifically detecting fluid weight gain at deterioration in definite HF patients.
authors.affiliation: Division of Internal Medicine, Nishida Hospital, Saiki-city, Oita, Japan. hkata@cream.plala.or.jp
authors.forename: Hajime
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kataoka
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D050218:Body Fat Distribution; D001826:Body Fluids / Q000502:physiology*; D001835:Body Weight; D017097:Electric Impedance; D001330:Electronic Data Processing / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012189:Retrospective Studies