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


METHODS
The study group consisted of 170 men and women 70 to 99 y of age. Anthropometric and bioelectrical (resistance and reactance, 50 kHz, 800 muA) 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.


RESULTS
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.


CONCLUSIONS
Bioelectrical impedance vector analysis represents a promising indicator of nutritional status, suitable in screening programs and clinical practice.
Roberto
R
Buffa
Giovanni
G
Floris
Elisabetta
E
Marini
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000886:Anthropometry; D001823:Body Composition / Q000502:physiology*; D017097:Electric Impedance; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D009752:Nutritional Status; D012016:Reference Values