Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis for the Assessment of Body Composition in Sarcopenia and Type 2 Diabetes

Abstract

Sarcopenia is emerging as a severe complication in type 2 diabetes (T2DM). On the other hand, it has been documented that nutritional aspects, such as insufficient protein or total energy intake, increase sarcopenia risk. The analysis of body composition is a relevant approach to assess nutritional status, and different techniques are available. Among such techniques, bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) is particularly interesting, since it is non-invasive, simple, and less expensive than the other techniques. Therefore, we conducted a review study to analyze the studies using BIA for body composition analysis in T2DM patients with sarcopenia or at risk of catching it. Revised studies have provided important information concerning relationships between body composition parameters (mainly muscle mass) and other aspects of T2DM patients' conditions, including different comorbidities, and information on how to avoid muscle mass deterioration. Such relevant findings suggest that BIA can be considered appropriate for body composition analysis in T2DM complicated by sarcopenia/muscle loss. The wide size of the patients' cohort in many studies confirms that BIA is convenient for clinical applications. However, studies with a specific focus on the validation of BIA, in the peculiar population of patients with T2DM complicated by sarcopenia, should be considered.

Keywords: appendicular muscle mass; bioelectrical impedance analysis; body composition; sarcopenia; skeletal muscle mass; type 2 diabetes.

Figure 1

PRISMA flow diagram of the scientific literature search strategy.

Figure 2

Methodological aspects related to BIA examination.

Figure 3

Percentage distribution of the studies analyzed in the review in terms of the size of the study cohorts (from minimum of <50 subjects to maximum of ≥5000 subjects).