Cardiac Output as Information

Cardiac output appears to have an informational aspect apart from just enabling the circulation of nutrients and blood components. End-organs receiving this information (kidneys, baroreceptors) react to this information in both normal cardiac function and in diseased states such as congestive heart failure. The kidneys may increase or decrease salt and water retention, and the sympathetic nervous system may be activated or scaled down. The concept introduced in this paper is based on ideas from information theory, such as entropy. It may better promote our understanding of circulatory physiology, and possibly help clinicians in managing patient care.