The Use of the Bioelectrical Impedance Phase Angle to Assess the Risk of Sarcopenia in People Aged 50 and above in Poland

Małgorzata Kołodziej, Sławomir Kozieł and Zofia Ignasiak
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Małgorzata Kołodziej: Department of Biostructure, Wroclaw University of Health and Sport Sciences, 51-612 Wrocław, Poland
Sławomir Kozieł: Department of Anthropology, Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, 50-449 Wrocław, Poland
Zofia Ignasiak: Department of Biostructure, Wroclaw University of Health and Sport Sciences, 51-612 Wrocław, Poland

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 8, 1-12

Abstract: Purpose: The increasing aging of many populations requires a continuous evolution of assessment methods in geriatrics, especially methods for identifying sarcopenia. Early diagnosis of unfavorable changes in the condition of skeletal muscles and the implementation of therapeutic methods may reduce the risk of functional limitations in the elderly. The aim of the study was to evaluate the association between the bioelectrical impedance phase angle and the occurrence of pre-sarcopenia in people aged 50 and above. Methods: 1567 people aged 50–87 were examined. Anthropometric as well as muscle strength and walking speed measurements were performed. Using bioelectrical impedance analysis, the phase angle was measured and the appendicular skeletal muscle mass was estimated. The contribution of the phase angle in explaining the probability of the occurrence of pre-sarcopenia was verified by multivariate logistic regression. Results: Sarcopenia was diagnosed in 12 people (0.8%) and pre-sarcopenia in 276 people (17.6%). Significantly lower impedance phase angle and muscle functional quality were found in people with confirmed pre-sarcopenia compared to people without sarcopenia. The relative differences for the phase angle were greater than for the indicator of muscle functional quality. Significant logit models were obtained for the probability of occurrence of pre-sarcopenia, in which the strongest predictor was the phase angle, regardless of the type and number of covariates. The cut-off point of the phase angle for identification of pre-sarcopenia was 5.42° in men and 4.76° in women. Conclusion: The strong association between the risk of pre-sarcopenia and the phase angle, which can be easily and quickly assessed by bio-impedance analysis, suggests the necessity to include this parameter in routine geriatric evaluation in order to identify the risk of sarcopenia.

Keywords: phase angle; pre-sarcopenia; appendicular skeletal muscle; muscle quality; healthy aging (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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