Association between phase angle and sarcopenia in patients with connective tissue diseases

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Rheumatology
• Nutritional Science

Background:

• Sarcopenia detection and management are crucial for patients with connective tissue diseases (CTDs).
• The association between phase angle and sarcopenia in CTD patients remains uncharacterized.
• This study addresses the knowledge gap regarding phase angle as a biomarker for sarcopenia in CTDs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between phase angle and sarcopenia in patients with CTDs.
• To determine optimal phase angle cutoff values for early sarcopenia detection in CTD patients.
• To differentiate sarcopenia prevalence and phase angle associations by sex within the CTD cohort.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cross-sectional study of 279 hospitalized CTD patients undergoing rehabilitation.
• Bioimpedance analysis utilized to measure phase angle.
• Sarcopenia assessed using the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia criteria.

Main Results:

• Sarcopenia was prevalent in 134 (48%) of the CTD patients.
• Patients with sarcopenia exhibited significantly lower phase angle values compared to those without sarcopenia.
• Multivariate analysis confirmed phase angle's significant association with sarcopenia, independent of confounders, with optimal cutoffs of 4.6° for men and 4.3° for women.

Conclusions:

• Phase angle serves as a valuable and accessible marker for sarcopenia in CTD populations.
• Established phase angle cutoff values (4.6° for men, 4.3° for women) can guide early sarcopenia detection.
• These findings support the integration of phase angle measurements into routine clinical practice for improved CTD patient management.