Impedance cardiography (BioZ)
Definition
BioZ provides a non-invasive measurement of the function of the heart and blood vessels, including:- Cardiac output: The blood volume pumped by the heart with each cycle.
- Systemic vascular resistance: The resistance to blood flow offered by blood vessels.
- Fluid status: The total amount of fluids in the body.
- The volume of blood pumped by the heart per minute, or the cardiac output.
- The ability of the blood vessels to dilate to accommodate the needs of your body, or systemic vascular resistance.
Alternative names
BioZ
Why the test is performed
By measuring and monitoring the cardiac output, as well as systemic vascular resistance with BioZ, treatment of hypertension can be precisely individualized. This is particularly useful in the treatment of:- Resistant hypertension: In a study done by the Mayo Clinic, using BioZ helped attain good blood pressure control in 60% more patients than in patients treated by conventional measures.
- Intolerance to blood pressure medications: It has been shown that using BioZ over anti-hypertensive agents results in faster blood pressure control with fewer medications.
- Fluid overload: BioZ gives us a measure of the fluid content and the cardiac output. This gives us the ability to optimize cardiac function and carefully measure the effect of diuretic therapy.