• Mellar P Davis, Tugba Yavuzsen, Dilara Khoshknabi, Jordanka Kirkova, Declan Walsh, Wael Lasheen, Ruth Lagman, and Matthew T Karafa.
• Harry R. Horvitz Center for Palliative Medicine, Taussig Cancer Center, Cleveland Clinic, Ohio 44195, USA. davism6@ccf.org
• Am J Hosp Palliat Care. 2009 Jun 1;26(3):180-7.

IntroductionWe wished to determine bioelectrical impedance (BIA) correlates before hydration or changes during hydration and determine if these changes were prognostically important.Methods And MaterialsFifty eligible patients underwent BIA measurements 3 consecutive days. Laboratory studies (electrolytes, creatinine, and hemoglobin) on day 1; weights and vital signs were recorded. Kaplan-Meier survival estimates were made at 30 and 60 days. Hazard ratios (HRs) based on Cox proportional hazards model were calculated.ResultsWeight loss was associated with shorter survival. A higher phase angle (PA) on day 1 predicted longer survival. Increased PA during hydration predicted shorter survival: increased weight during hydration predicted longer survival.DiscussionHigher phase angle before hydration predicts poorer survival and, paradoxically, an increase in phase angle during hydration predicted poorer survival and preexisting intracellular dehydration, cachexia, or poor membrane function.ConclusionsPhase angle and weight during hydration predict survival in cancer.

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