The Persistence of High Body Sodium in Previously Edematous Patients with Heart Disease

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Measurements of total body water and total exchangeable sodium were made in patients with heart disease rendered free of edema following congestive heart failure. The total exchangeable sodium in most of the patients was higher than would have been predicted on the basis of their body weight and total body water. Serial measurements showed that some patients gradually lose their excess sodium over a period of months without a loss of body water; others maintain an elevated ratio of body sodium to body weight and body sodium to body water for periods of at least several months. The data imply the possibility of significant quantities of osmotically inactive sodium in patients with heart disease.