Low Bioelectrical Impedance Phase Angle Is a Significant Risk Factor for Frailty

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Biomedical Engineering
• Nutritional Science

Background:

• The phase angle, derived from bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), is a key indicator in nutritional assessment and disease risk evaluation.
• Its association with frailty, a state of increased vulnerability, remains under-investigated.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between the phase angle and frailty in a large prospective cohort.
• To determine if the phase angle is an independent risk factor for frailty and locomotive syndrome (LS).

Main Methods:

• A prospective study involving 550 participants (235 males, 365 females) who underwent health checkups.
• Frailty was assessed using the Japanese version of the Cardiovascular Health Study criteria.
• Locomotive syndrome (LS) was diagnosed using the 25-Item Geriatric Locomotive Function Scale.
• Phase angle was measured using BIA, and multiple logistic regression analysis was employed.

Main Results:

• Participants with frailty exhibited significantly lower phase angles across all groups and sexes.
• A low phase angle was identified as a significant risk factor for frailty, even after adjusting for age, sex, and body mass index.
• In males, low phase angle was linked to both frailty and LS. In females, it was more strongly associated with frailty than LS.

Conclusions:

• A low phase angle is a significant risk factor for frailty.
• The phase angle serves as a practical and cost-effective indicator for assessing frailty.
• In females, frailty demonstrates a stronger correlation with the phase angle compared to LS.