title: Role of bioelectrical impedance analysis in follow-up of hospitalized elderly patients with congestive heart failure.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Congestive heart failure (CHF) is characterized by high levels of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), expanded total body water (TBW) and extracellular water (ECW). Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) has demonstrated high diagnostic accuracy in CHF but no information is available for older patients. We hypothesized that, in the follow-up of patients with CHF, body fluid changes estimated by BIA are related to BNP variations rather than with body weight. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between variations in body fluid compartments, body weight and BNP in hospitalized elderly patients with decompensated CHF.
  
  
  METHODS
  49 elderly patients admitted to the Geriatric Department for decompensated CHF were included in the study. On admission and at discharge, all patients underwent clinical and functional assessment and BNP dosage. TBW and ECW were also determined by the BIA method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At discharge, all patients showed reductions in TBW (ΔTBW -2.9 ± 3.0 liters), ECW (ΔECW 1.9 ± 2.1 liters) and BNP levels (ΔBNP -219.6 ± 458.1 pg/mL). Variations in TBW and ECW were correlated with BNP changes (r=0.65 and 0.62, respectively) rather than with body weight variations and BNP changes (r=0.51).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The stronger relationship between fluid variations determined by BIA and BNP changes may make BIA a useful method in the follow-up of decompensated CHF elderly patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine - DIMED, Division of Geriatrics, University of Padova Hospital, Via Giustiniani 2, 35128 Padova, Italy. giuseppe.sergi@unipd.it
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sergi
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Veronese
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bolzetta
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: De Rui
authors.forename: Elena Debora
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Toffanello
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Berton
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Carraro
authors.forename: Fabrizio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cardin
authors.forename: Enzo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Manzato
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Coin
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001825:Body Fluid Compartments / Q000502:physiology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001834:Body Water / Q000502:physiology; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D017097:Electric Impedance; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010351:Patient Discharge