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Updated: Aug 19, 2026

Clinical Application of Phase Angle and BIVA Z-Score Analyses in Patients Admitted to an Emergency Department with Acute Heart Failure
Published on: June 30, 2023
[Edema in heart disease]
Shinsuke Muto1, Yasunobu Hirata
1Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Tokyo, Graduate School of Medicine.
Insights
Cardiac edema, often caused by heart failure, requires careful management. Treatment involves sodium/water restriction, diuretics, and potentially newer therapies like natriuretic peptides for improved outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Nephrology
- Internal Medicine
Context:
- Cardiac edema presents a diagnostic challenge due to diverse underlying causes.
- Congestive heart failure and pericardial diseases are primary etiologies of cardiac edema.
- Accurate diagnosis is crucial for effective edema management.
Purpose:
- To outline current and emerging strategies for managing cardiac edema.
- To highlight the importance of sodium and water restriction in edema treatment.
- To discuss the role of diuretics, natriuretic peptides, and other pharmacotherapies.
Summary:
- Diuretics, particularly loop diuretics, are essential for rapid edema reduction and achieving an euvolemic state.
- Atrial natriuretic peptide and brain natriuretic peptide serve as valuable biomarkers and therapeutic agents for heart failure-related edema.
- Long-term management involves agents like ACE inhibitors, ARBs, beta-blockers, and spironolactone to improve prognosis.
Impact:
- This review provides a comprehensive overview of cardiac edema management.
- It emphasizes the integration of established and novel therapeutic approaches.
- The information aids clinicians in optimizing patient care and long-term outcomes for edema patients.
Abstract:
The two main causes of cardiac edema are congestive heart failure and pericardial diseases. Careful evaluation of patients with edema is important because there are many other diseases showing the symptom. Important for the treatment of edema is to restrict sodium and water intake. Diuretics and digoxin have formed the mainstay of treatment for many years. Patients with edema should be given diuretics until an euvolemic state is achieved. Especially loop diuretic is effective to reduce edema quickly. Recently atrial natriuretic peptide and brain natriuretic peptide are shown to be useful markers to assess heart failure. These peptides are also useful as therapeutic tools for treating edema in heart failure. Even if the patient has responded favorably to diuretics, angiotensin converting enzymes inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor blockers, beta blockers and spironolactone should be added according to the status, because there are many evidences that they improve the long-term prognosis. Vasopeptidase inhibitors and vasopressin antagonist are being introduced for management of heart failure.
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