Association between age and phase angle in "old" and "super-old" nursing home residents.
Akira Kubo, Masahiro Ishizaka, Sho Tsukahara and 1 others
PMID 36118661WHAT IT FOUND
In women aged 75 to 100 from one nursing home, a body composition measure called phase angle was lower in those 90 or older than in those 75 to 89.
Older age was associated with lower phase angle and lower daily independence scores.
Key findings
01Phase angle was 3.2 degrees in women aged 75 to 89 and 2.6 degrees in women aged 90 or older.
02Age was correlated with phase angle at r = -0.53, p < 0.01.
03Barthel index scores were median 30 (0 to 85) in women aged 75 to 89 and median 10 (0 to 55) in women aged 90 or older, and the difference was significant.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
Only 53 women from one nursing home were studied, so the results may not apply to men, other ages, or other settings. The study was cross-sectional, so it cannot show that aging caused phase angle to change. Many residents may have had advanced osteoporosis or inflammation, which can affect phase angle. The study did not include residents under 75, so it cannot compare the oldest groups with younger older adults.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that low phase angle causes aging or that it diagnoses malnutrition. This study was cross-sectional, included only 53 women aged 75 to 100 from one nursing home, and did not test any treatment.