Heart, liver, or kidney disease. Sometimes swelling can indicate a problem such as heart, liver, or kidney disease. Ankles that swell in the evening could be a sign of retaining salt and water because of right-sided heart failure. Kidney disease can also cause foot and ankle swelling.
The average human body is estimated to be about 60 to 70 percent water. The percentage may be as high as 75% in infants, decreasing to 57-60% in adults. This does not include water that is part of hydrated chemical compounds in the body, which can only be removed chemically or by heat drying.
Babies have the most, being born at about 78%. By one year of age, that amount drops to about 65%. In adult men, about 60% of their bodies are water. However, fat tissue does not have as much water as lean tissue. In adult women, fat makes up more of the body than men, so they have about 55% of their bodies made of water. Thus: 1  Babies and kids have more water (as a percentage) than adults. 2  Women have less water than men (as a percentage).