Endocrine Abstracts

Aim of the study was to compare the effectiveness of three methods of body composition assessment such as bioimpedans analysis (BIA), air-replacement bodyplatismography (BodPod) and Dual X-ray absorptiometry Total body program (DXA Total Body) in the verification of reducing of skeletal muscle mass as sign of sarcopenic obesity in obese patients.

Material and Methods: The study group included 95 patients aged 21–69 y.o. (average age 53.9 ± 11.05 years) with BMI ≥ 30.0 kg/m². The control group included 37 patients aged 37–69 y.o (average age 50.73 ± 10.6 years) of the same age without obesity with BMI 20.0–29.9 kg/m². Body composition was tested using BIA, BodPod and DXA with calculating fat, lean and skeletal muscles mass (kg) and % in all the patients.

Results: According to BIA the groups differ only in fat mass (FM) 42.75 (4.8;6.3) vs 33.15 (28.4;35.5) kg; P = 0.036 and did not differ (P > 0.05) in lean (LM), skeletal muscle mass (SMM) and in % of FM and SMM. According to BodPod analyses groups differed in the FM 3.4 [36.81; 69.94] vs 31.02 [23.22; 38] kg, P = 0.007, % FM 45.4 [42.1; 53.8] vs 37.7 [28.6; 41.1], P =0.003 and % LM – 54.6 [46.2; 57.9] vs 62.3 [58.9; 71.4], P =0.003, but had statistically equivalent values of LM 55 [49.48; 67.77] vs 40.36 [33.12; 49.06] kg, P = 0.19. According to DXA Total Body analyses statistically significant differences (P< 0.05) have been identified between the groups in FM and % FM of the hands, feet, trunk, total body (P > 0.05), but not in LM and % LM (P > 0.05).

Conclusions: From methods of body composition assessment, air-replacement bodyplatismography (BodPod) is the most sensitive in the verification of skeletal muscle mass reduction in obese patients. This method shows that patients with obesity have a significantly reduced muscle mass compared with normal weight or overweight subjects.