(46) LOW PHASE ANGLE AND PHYSICAL FUNCTIONING IN AGING: A CROSS-SECTIONAL ANALYSIS

Friday, July 14, 2023

12:30 PM – 2:00 PM East Coast USA Time

Location: Milano III-IV

Poster Presenter(s)

Danielle Sterner, CSCS

PhD Graduate Assistant
University of Central Florida
Orlando, Florida, United States

Author(s)

JS

Jeffrey Stout

Director and Pegasus Professor
University of Central Florida
Orlando, Florida, United States
LT

Ladda Thiamwong

Professor
University of Central Florida
Orlando, Florida, United States
JP

Joon Park

Professor
University of Central Florida
Orlando, Florida, United States
David H. Fukuda, PhD

Division Chair and Associate Professor
University of Central Florida
Orlando, Florida, United States

Abstract Details: PURPOSE: The phase angle calculated from bioelectrical impedance (PhA) is related to muscle quality and quantity measures in older individuals. Age, body composition, and lack of physical exercise influence PhA. Low-PhA values (≤5o) are associated with poor muscle function, falls, and frailty-related mortality. Therefore, this investigation aimed to compare Low-PhA and High-PhA in relation to age, body mass index (BMI), handgrip strength (HGS), sit-to-stand score (STS), and balance performance (BP).

Methods: A cross-sectional analysis was conducted in 87 older adult females (74.7 ± 7.1 years; BMI: 26.9 ± 5.2 kg·m-2) who participated in this study. Bioelectrical impedance parameters were recorded, specifically, PhA at 50 kHz. Participants were then divided into two groups according to their PhA levels: Low-PhA (≤5°; n=26) and High-PhA ( >5°; n=61). Age, BMI, HGS, STS, and BP were compared between these groups using independent samples t-tests.

Results: There were no significant differences between groups for HGS or BMI. However, significant differences in age (t(85) = -4.09, p < .001) were observed between groups, with the Low-PhA group (M = 79.81, SD = 7.75) being older than the High-PhA group (M = 73.49, SD = 6.03). Furthermore, significant differences were observed for STS scores, how many times the participant can go from a sitting to standing position in one minute (t(85) = 2.40, p = .018) between the groups, with the Low-PhA group (M = 11.58, SD = 7.45) having lower scores than the High-PhA group (M = 15.08, SD = 5.62). Significant differences were also observed for the BP scores, ranging from 1 to 100 with a higher score indicating poor balance or a higher fall risk (t(85) = -3.13, p = .002) between the groups, where the Low-PhA group (M = 37.92, SD = 21.48) had higher scores than the High-PhA group (M = 27.26, SD = 10.36).

Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that phase angle may be a distinguishing factor in age, lower limb strength and balance for older adult females. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Practitioners may consider using bioelectrical impedance phase angles as an assessment tool to monitor health status and potential risks associated with aging. People with low phase angle values may benefit from targeted interventions to improve muscle quality and quantity, which may help improve physical function and reduce the risk of falls.

Acknowledgements: Acknowledgment: This project received financial support from the National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, grant number 1R03AG06799-0.