title: Low phase angle determined by bioelectrical impedance analysis is associated with malnutrition and nutritional risk at hospital admission.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study determined the association between phase angle (PhA), by bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) and nutritional risk by Nutritional Risk Screening (NRS-2002), Subjective Global Assessment (SGA), hospital length of stay (LOS) and 30 day non-survival in patients at hospital admission compared to healthy controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  PhA was determined by BIA in patients (n = 983, 52.7 ± 21.5 yrs, M 520) and compared to healthy age-, sex- and height-matched controls. Low PhA was set at <5.0° (men) and <4.6° (women) as previously determined (Kyle, in press).
  
  
  RESULTS
  PhA was lower in patients (men 6.0 ± 1.4°, women 5.0 ± 1.3°) than controls (men 7.1 ± 1.2°, women 6.0 ± 1.2°, un-paired t-test p < 0.001). Patients were more likely to have low PhA than controls: NRS-2002: no risk (relative risk (RR) 1.7, 95th confidence interval (CI) 1.2-2.3), moderate risk (RR 4.5, CI 3.4-5.8) and severe risk (RR 7.5, CI 5.9-9.4); similar results were obtained by SGA; LOS ≥21 days (RR 6.9, CI 5.1-9.1) and LOS 5-20 days (RR 5.2, CI 3.9-6.9) and non-survivors (RR 3.1, CI 2.1-3.4) compared to survivors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a significant association between low PhA and nutritional risk, LOS and non-survival. PhA is helpful to identify patients who are at nutritional risk at hospital admission in order to limit the number of in-depth nutritional assessments.
authors.affiliation: Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children's Hospital, Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, 6621 Fannin St, WT6-006, Houston, TX 77030, USA. ukyle@bcm.edu
authors.forename: Ursula G
authors.initials: UG
authors.lastname: Kyle
authors.forename: Laurence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Genton
authors.forename: Claude
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pichard
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000378:metabolism; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001823:Body Composition; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D017097:Electric Impedance; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D009752:Nutritional Status; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D012709:Serum Albumin