title: Limb fat-free mass and fat mass reference values by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) in a 20-80 year-old Italian population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To establish reference values for limb composition, fat-free mass (FFM) and fat mass (FM) in Italian adults for gender-specific age brackets 20-80 years old and to assess age-related regional changes in body composition.
  
  
  METHODS
  A multicenter, retrospective study was conducted on 1571 healthy subjects, 1240 women and 331 men. Regional FFM and FM were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. FM was expressed as % of limb weight.
  
  
  RESULTS
  FFM in men diminished with age in both arms and legs, with reference ranges (25th -75th percentile) of 3.8-4.6 kg and 10.4-12.2 kg, respectively for 20-29 year-olds, and 3.1-3.9 kg and 8.2-10.4 kg for 70-79 year-olds. Women's arm FFM remained stable with aging (reference values 1.7-2.2 kg), decreasing in their legs (6.2-7.2 kg for 20-29 year-olds, 5.5-6.5 kg for 70-79 year-olds). Limb FM% increased with age in both genders: the reference values were 9-15% (arms) and 12-21% (legs) for 20-29 year-old men, and 19-26% and 19-29%, respectively, for 70-79 year-olds; for women's arms, they were 25-36% for 20-29 year-olds and 36-48% for 70-79 year-olds, while their leg FM remained the same with aging, i.e. 32-40%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data complete the published reference values for whole body composition, enabling physiological or pathological changes in limb composition to be identified in Caucasian populations living in the Mediterranean area.
authors.affiliation: Clinica Geriatrica, Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche e Chirurgiche, Università di Padova, Italy. alessandra.coin@unipd.it
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Coin
authors.forename: Sandro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Giannini
authors.forename: Nadia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Minicuci
authors.forename: Giulia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rinaldi
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pedrazzoni
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Minisola
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rossini
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Del Puente
authors.forename: Eminé Meral
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Inelmen
authors.forename: Enzo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Manzato
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sergi
mesh_terms: D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon / Q000379:methods*; D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging; D001823:Body Composition; D001835:Body Weight; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D007866:Leg / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D012016:Reference Values; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D044465:White People; D055815:Young Adult