AIM: The rapidly increasing prevalence and poor outcome of congestive heart 
failure have stimulated the development of different telemonitoring 
technologies. In this study, we monitored remotely self-measured body weight and 
blood pressure, in parallel with the data automatically transmitted by 
implantable cardioverter-defibrillators. The primary aim of this study was to 
evaluate the correlation between different parameters screened by these two 
telemonitoring systems.
METHODS AND RESULTS: Thirty-two patients in NYHA class III heart failure were 
followed for 164 ± 48 days after cardioverter-defibrillator implantation. In 29 
patients, mean heart rate (MHR), resting heart rate (RHR), and patient activity 
(determined by implanted devices), weight and blood pressure measurements were 
received on 85% of all days when remote data transmissions were expected. Based 
on approximately 4,000 daily pairs of measurements pooled for all patients, 
weight inversely correlated with activity and with the difference between MHR 
and RHR. By contrast, blood pressure did not correlate with weight, activity, or 
the difference between MHR and RHR, but it correlated with MHR and RHR 
individually.
CONCLUSION: Body weight, patient activity, and the difference between MHR and 
RHR are mutually correlated and may reasonably contribute to an algorithm for 
predicting heart failure deterioration. Blood pressure appears to offer no 
additional value. As both genesis and symptoms of heart failure exacerbation are 
non-uniform and complex, the telemonitoring concepts for heart failure patients 
should employ continuous monitoring of multiple diagnostic parameters, rather 
than rely on a single parameter. Provided that patient compliance is strictly 
supervised, reliable data flow from sensors requiring patient involvement is 
possible.