Case Report: Daily water monitoring provides an evidence-based guide for safe and effective use of diuretics—a longitudinal study

Heart failure (HF) management commonly relies on diuretics, yet standard fixed-dose regimens fail to adjust for daily fluid fluctuations, often leading to suboptimal management. Current tools lack the real-time precision needed to adjust therapy in response to these fluctuations. Bioelectrical imped...

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Main Authors: Susie Cha, Douglas W. Wilmore
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-07-01
Series:Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcvm.2025.1625554/full
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author Susie Cha
Douglas W. Wilmore
Douglas W. Wilmore
author_facet Susie Cha
Douglas W. Wilmore
Douglas W. Wilmore
author_sort Susie Cha
collection DOAJ
description Heart failure (HF) management commonly relies on diuretics, yet standard fixed-dose regimens fail to adjust for daily fluid fluctuations, often leading to suboptimal management. Current tools lack the real-time precision needed to adjust therapy in response to these fluctuations. Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) is a tool that can potentially provide personalized guidance for adjusting diuretic therapy, but its daily clinical utility remains limited. We present the case of an 85-year-old patient with chronic HF who performed daily BIA measurements to guide diuretics administration over 1,201 days. The patient adjusted diuretic administration in response to rises in body weight and extracellular water to total body water (ECW/TBW) ratio, indicating fluid accumulation beyond his baseline variability. The patient maintained full adherence to daily BIA monitoring. Despite using diuretics on only 9.2% of the days, fluid balance remained stable with no changes in cardiac, renal, or electrolyte parameters. Fluid retention resolved within 24 h following tailored diuretic intervention. Additionally, daily BIA facilitated differentiation between fluid-driven from non-fluid-driven weight changes, improving informed decision-making. This case demonstrates that a daily BIA-guided, patient-led diuretic regimen was feasible and effective in maintaining fluid stability with minimal diuretic use. This approach may serve as a personalized self-care model for chronic HF management.
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spelling doaj-art-a39a7420456f4b1eaf62fbd4d4afa0a12025-08-20T03:09:35ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine2297-055X2025-07-011210.3389/fcvm.2025.16255541625554Case Report: Daily water monitoring provides an evidence-based guide for safe and effective use of diuretics—a longitudinal studySusie Cha0Douglas W. Wilmore1Douglas W. Wilmore2Global Research and Development, Biospace, Inc., Cerritos, CA, United StatesGlobal Research and Development, Biospace, Inc., Cerritos, CA, United StatesFrank Sawyer Professor of Surgery Emeritus, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United StatesHeart failure (HF) management commonly relies on diuretics, yet standard fixed-dose regimens fail to adjust for daily fluid fluctuations, often leading to suboptimal management. Current tools lack the real-time precision needed to adjust therapy in response to these fluctuations. Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) is a tool that can potentially provide personalized guidance for adjusting diuretic therapy, but its daily clinical utility remains limited. We present the case of an 85-year-old patient with chronic HF who performed daily BIA measurements to guide diuretics administration over 1,201 days. The patient adjusted diuretic administration in response to rises in body weight and extracellular water to total body water (ECW/TBW) ratio, indicating fluid accumulation beyond his baseline variability. The patient maintained full adherence to daily BIA monitoring. Despite using diuretics on only 9.2% of the days, fluid balance remained stable with no changes in cardiac, renal, or electrolyte parameters. Fluid retention resolved within 24 h following tailored diuretic intervention. Additionally, daily BIA facilitated differentiation between fluid-driven from non-fluid-driven weight changes, improving informed decision-making. This case demonstrates that a daily BIA-guided, patient-led diuretic regimen was feasible and effective in maintaining fluid stability with minimal diuretic use. This approach may serve as a personalized self-care model for chronic HF management.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcvm.2025.1625554/fullheart failurebioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA)fluid managementself-carecase report
spellingShingle Susie Cha
Douglas W. Wilmore
Douglas W. Wilmore
Case Report: Daily water monitoring provides an evidence-based guide for safe and effective use of diuretics—a longitudinal study
Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine
heart failure
bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA)
fluid management
self-care
case report
title Case Report: Daily water monitoring provides an evidence-based guide for safe and effective use of diuretics—a longitudinal study
title_full Case Report: Daily water monitoring provides an evidence-based guide for safe and effective use of diuretics—a longitudinal study
title_fullStr Case Report: Daily water monitoring provides an evidence-based guide for safe and effective use of diuretics—a longitudinal study
title_full_unstemmed Case Report: Daily water monitoring provides an evidence-based guide for safe and effective use of diuretics—a longitudinal study
title_short Case Report: Daily water monitoring provides an evidence-based guide for safe and effective use of diuretics—a longitudinal study
title_sort case report daily water monitoring provides an evidence based guide for safe and effective use of diuretics a longitudinal study
topic heart failure
bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA)
fluid management
self-care
case report
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcvm.2025.1625554/full
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AT douglaswwilmore casereportdailywatermonitoringprovidesanevidencebasedguideforsafeandeffectiveuseofdiureticsalongitudinalstudy