Simple electrical test could spot hidden heart failure in older adults

Researchers in China say a quick bedside electrical test could help detect a hidden form of heart failure in older adults—cases where echocardiography shows preserved ejection fraction despite acute decompensation. The condition is acute decompensated heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (ADHFpEF), in which stiff heart muscle prevents proper relaxation, causing fluid to back up into lungs and tissues. The team at Third People’s Hospital of Yunnan Province (affiliated with Dali University, Kunming) explored bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), using multifrequency electrodes to estimate total and extracellular water based on how body tissues conduct a harmless alternating current. Two measures highlighted are extracellular water to total body water (ECW/TBW) and phase angle.