Investigating the Dynamics of Supine Fluid Redistribution Within Multiple Body Segments Between Men and Women

While supine, fluid moves from the legs and accumulates in the chest and neck. However, patterns of rostral fluid shift are not clear. Furthermore, real-time measurement of neck fluid volume has not been investigated. The objective of this study was to investigate the dynamics of rostral fluid shift in men and women. We developed a bioelectrical impedance system to measure leg, abdominal, thoracic and neck fluid volumes (LFV, AFV, TFV, NFV) continuously. Forty healthy non-obese adults (20 men) lay supine for 90 min while fluid volumes were measured. After 90 min, a similar volume of fluid shifted out of the legs in both sexes (p = 0.079), but men accumulated more fluid in their thorax (63 ± 6 vs. 44 ± 11 ml, p = 0.016) and neck (17 ± 2 vs. 14 ± 1 ml, p = 0.029) than women. In both sexes, the increase in NFV caused a significant increase in neck circumference, which was greater in men (p = 0.009). Furthermore, 80% of rostral fluid shift would occur in the first 2 h of lying supine. These results suggest that greater fluid shift into the thorax and neck may contribute to the higher prevalence of sleep apnea in men than in women.