Should we overcome the resistance to bioelectrical impedance in heart failure?
INTRODUCTION
Heart failure is associated with increased neurohormonal activation that results in changes in body composition including volume overload and the loss of skeletal muscle, body fat, and bone density. Bioelectrical impedance measures body composition based on the conduction of electrical current through body fluids.


AREAS COVERED
The PubMed and Scopus databases were reviewed up to the third week of June 2020. Cross-sectional studies, retrospective observational studies, prospective observational studies, and randomized controlled trials have examined numerous bioelectrical impedance monitoring strategies to guide the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of heart failure. These monitoring strategies include intrathoracic impedance, lung impedance, bioelectrical impedance vector analysis, leg bioelectrical impedance, and thoracic bioreactance.


EXPERT COMMENTARY
Based on the current evidence, more studies are needed to validate bioelectrical impedance in heart failure. Lung impedance appears to be useful for guiding heart failure treatment in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction and improving outcomes in outpatients with heart failure. Furthermore, bioelectrical impedance has potential as a noninvasive, quantitative heart failure variable for population-based research.
['Hankinson|Stephen J|SJ|', 'Williams|Charles H|CH|', 'Ton|Van-Khue|VK|', 'Gottlieb|Stephen S|SS|', 'Hong|Charles C|CC|']
D001823:Body Composition D017097:Electric Impedance D006333:Heart Failure D006801:Humans D007866:Leg D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic D011379:Prognosis
Bioelectrical impedance heart failure intrathoracic impedance lung impedance bioelectrical impedance vector analysis leg bioelectrical impedance bioreactance bioimpedance