Assessment of nutritional status in free-living elderly individuals by bioelectrical impedance vector analysis

• Published in: Nutrition (Burbank, Los Angeles County, Calif.) Vol. 25; no. 1; pp. 3 - 5
• Main Authors: Buffa, Roberto, Floris, Giovanni, Marini, Elisabetta
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 2009; [New York]: Elsevier Science Inc; Elsevier; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Age; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Aging; Aging - physiology; Anthropometry; bioelectrical impedance; Bioelectrical impedance vector analysis; Biological and medical sciences; Body Composition; Body Composition - physiology; Body mass index; Children & youth; elderly; elderly nutrition; Electric Impedance; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gastroenterology and Hepatology; health status; Humans; Impedance; Male; Malnutrition; Mass Screening; men; Mini-Nutritional Assessment; Morphology; Nutrition Assessment; nutrition risk assessment; Nutritional Status; Older people; physical fitness; physiology; protein energy malnutrition; Reference Values; senescence; Studies; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; women; Italy; Aging; Bioelectrical impedance vector analysis; Malnutrition; Mini-Nutritional Assessment; Human; Senescence; Nutrition; Ageing; Nutrition disorder; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Impedance; Elderly; Nutritional status
• ISSN: 0899-9007; 1873-1244
• DOI: 10.1016/j.nut.2008.07.014

The aim of the present research was to examine bioelectrical vector changes in relation to nutritional status in a sample of healthy free-living elderly people. The study group consisted of 170 men and women 70 to 99 y of age. Anthropometric and bioelectrical (resistance and reactance, 50 kHz, 800 μA) measurements were taken. Bioelectrical impedance vector analysis was applied. Nutritional status was determined by the Mini-Nutritional Assessment. Bioelectrical characteristics of normal and undernourished individuals were compared statistically with Hotelling's T 2 test and graphically with 95% probability confidence ellipses. The impedance and multidimensional approaches showed a clear association. Undernourished subjects had a smaller phase angle (men 5.2 ± 1.3 versus 5.7 ± 1.0 degrees, P = 0.027; women 5.0 ± 1.0 versus 5.4 ± 0.9 degrees, P = 0.065) than normally nourished subjects. Bioelectrical impedance vector analysis represents a promising indicator of nutritional status, suitable in screening programs and clinical practice.