Revista Espanola de Geriatria y Gerontologia · Apr 14, 2025
Associations between phase angle measured by bioelectrical impedance and physical frailty, sarcopenia and comorbidity in older patients
By Bernabeu-Serrano ET, Duggan E, Romero-Ortuño R
AIM: To evaluate the association between phase angle (PA), measured by electrical bioimpedance, and age, comorbidity, physical frailty, and sarcopenia in individuals over 50years old attending a falls clinic. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data were collected on demographics (age, sex), anthropometric measurements (body mass index [BMI]), comorbidity (CIRS-G score), physical frailty (SHARE-FI score), probable sarcopenia (by handgrip strength and 5 sit-to-stand test [5-STS]), and bioimpedance parameters (PA and sarcopenia as per Sergi's equation). Bivariate correlations and multiple linear regression models were applied to determine association. RESULTS: The study included 107 patients (61 women) from the Falls and Syncope Unit, Mercer's Institute for Successful Ageing, St James' Hospital, Dublin; with a mean age of 69.8 years, PA of 4.7°, and BMI of 26.4kg/m². PA demonstrated an inverse correlation with SHARE-FI (ρ: -0.23, P=.019), which remained significant after adjusting for age. PA was also inversely correlated with CIRS-G (ρ: -0.40, P<.001); in regression analysis, this association was independent of age (P<.001) and SHARE-FI (P=.539). PA was inversely associated with bioimpedance-confirmed sarcopenia (P=.002) and probable sarcopenia by handgrip strength (ρ: 0.25, P=.009) and 5-STS (ρ: -0.32, P=.001). Among patients with confirmed or probable sarcopenia (n=49), PA was inversely related to CIRS-G (P=.011), independent of age (P=.003) and SHARE-FI (P=.959). CONCLUSIONS: PA decreases with age and is significantly influenced by comorbidities, but not by physical frailty. This relationship persists in patients with confirmed or probable sarcopenia, suggesting that PA could be a valuable marker for assessing the burden of comorbidities in these patients.