Method of predicting body cell mass using bioimpedance analysis

Abstract

The inability to precisely estimate body composition using simple, inexpensive and easily applied techniques is an impediment to clinical investigations in nutrition. In this study, predictive equations for body cell mass (BCM), fat free mass (FFM), and total body water (TBW), were derived, using single frequency bioimpedance analysis (BIA), in 332 subjects, including white, black and hispanic men and women, both normal healthy controls and patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Preliminary studies demonstrated more accurate predictions of BCM when using parallel transformed values of reactance than the values reported by the bioimpedance analyzer. Modeling equations derived after logarithmic transformation of height, reactance and impedance were more accurate predictors than equations using height.sup.2 /resistance, and the use of gender-specific equations further impoved accuracy. The addition of weight to the modeling equation also improved accuracy but was less important than the impedance measurements. The resulting equations were internally validated, and race, disease (HIV infection) and malnutrition were shown not to affect the predictions. The equation for FFM also was validated externally against results derived from hydrodensitometry measurements in a group of 440 healthy individuals, with a standard error of the estimate of under 5%. These results indicate that body composition can be estimated accurately using simple, inexpensive, and easily applied techniques, and that the estimates are sufficiently precise for use in clinical investigation and clinical practice.