Daily variability in dyspnea, edema and body weight in heart failure patients

Background: Heart failure (HF) and heart failure exacerbations are associated with distressing physical signs and symptoms that include dyspnea, peripheral edema and weight gain. There are no prior investigations that describe the daily fluctuations of these. Purpose: The purpose of this investigation was to characterize daily dyspnea, edema and body weight in patients with HF for 1 month. Methods: This analysis used a descriptive correlational design. Data were collected daily for 30 days from a cohort of heart failure subjects (n = 48). Daily mean values and associations between self-reported dyspnea, edema and body weight were determined. Results: The sample included 48 participants with a mean age of 48 ± 15 years. Slightly more than half were male (54%) and a majority were married (54%). On average, subjects with HF reported moderate daily levels of self-reported dyspnea and perceived edema. The average daily association between self-reported dyspnea and edema was a positive, significant relationship (p < 0.001). There were fewer significant positive associations between self-reported dyspnea and body weight and self-reported edema and body weight. Conclusions: In this cohort, heart failure patients were able to monitor symptoms daily, detect fluctuations and may be able to modify self-care activities and therapeutic regimen based on these ratings.