Clinical correlates of bioelectrical phase angle in older adults: The SCOPE study
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Published on: June 30, 2023
Seyedeh Dalia Fazel1, Harmke A Polinder-Bos1, Paolo Fabbietti2
1Section of Geriatrics, Department of Internal Medicine, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, P.O. Box 2040, 3000 CA Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
Background:
Phase angle (PhA) has been associated with adverse outcomes in older adults. We examined its associations with selected nutritional, functional and clinical characteristics.
Methods:
This cross-sectional analysis used baseline data from 1483 community-dwelling adults aged ≥75 years in the SCOPE cohort. Multivariable linear regression modelled continuous PhA using age, handgrip strength, Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA), Cumulative Illness Rating Scale for Geriatrics (CIRS-G), estimated glomerular filtration rate and sex. Analyses included 1431 complete cases. We report unstandardized coefficients (B) with nominal 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Bonferroni correction was applied separately to six main coefficient tests and three sex-interaction tests.
Results:
Older age (B = -0.034°/year; 95% CI -0.046 to -0.023) and higher CIRS-G scores (B = -0.022°/point; 95% CI -0.032 to -0.011) were associated with lower PhA. Higher handgrip strength (B = 0.024°/kg; 95% CI 0.018 to 0.031) and MNA scores (B = 0.046°/point; 95% CI 0.027 to 0.065) were associated with higher PhA. All four associations remained significant after Bonferroni correction (all adjusted P < 0.001). Neither renal function nor sex met the corrected significance threshold.
Conclusions:
PhA was associated with age, nutritional status, handgrip strength and comorbidity in older adults. These cross-sectional findings describe clinical correlates; the incremental clinical value of PhA requires further investigation.