Sarcopenia and dynapenia is correlated to worse quality of life perception in middle-aged and older adults with Parkinson's disease.

BACKGROUND: There are few studies that assess the relationship between nutritional status and quality of life in individuals with Parkinson's disease, despite the well-established negative impact of sarcopenia and dynapenia on functional capacity and quality of life. These conditions impair protein-muscular status and are prevalent in individuals with Parkinson's disease. This study aimed to examine the relationship between nutritional status, including body composition, functional capacity, and diagnosis of sarcopenia and dynapenia, and quality-of-life perception in individuals with Parkinson's disease. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study conducted in two Parkinson's disease centers in the northeast of Brazil. The researchers assessed muscle strength, muscle mass, and physical performance to diagnose dynapenia, sarcopenia and functional capacity. Quality of life was estimated using the Parkinson's disease Quality of Life Questionnaire. RESULTS: We found positive correlations between quality of life and variables such as severity and duration of the disease, as well as positive screening for sarcopenia (p<0.001). Negative correlations were observed between quality of life and muscle strength and functional capacity. The study also found that individuals with sarcopenia and dynapenia had significantly worse quality-of-life scores compared to those who did not have these nutritional outcomes (p <0.05; p <0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The presence of sarcopenia, dynapenia, low gait speed, disease duration, and severity had an impact on higher scores in the Parkinson's Disease Quality of Life Questionnaire, indicating a worsening perception of quality of life.

Evaluation of ultrasonographic approaches aimed at determining distinct abdominal adipose tissue depots.

Objective: To analyze different anatomical sites in the abdominal region, in order to determine the positional parameter that identifies a higher level of visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and confers a greater cardiometabolic risk. Materials and methods: This is a methodological study in which VAT was evaluated by ultrasonography (USG) in three anatomical sites in the abdomen, while the abdominal circumference (AC) was measured using seven different protocols. Additionally, the glycemic and lipid profile, C-reactive protein, and the presence of systemic arterial hypertension were evaluated. Results: One hundred and six individuals with an average age of 42 (36.8-46.2) years were included. The evaluation of the calibration of the ultrasound procedure for the analysis of VAT by intra- and inter-evaluators showed high reproducibility. The pattern of abdominal fat distribution differed between sexes, with higher mean VAT in males (p < 0.05) and higher mean SAT (subcutaneous adipose tissue) in females (p < 0.005). In the abdominal scan applied to women, higher levels of VAT and lower levels of SAT were observed in the narrower waist region, between the iliac crest and the last rib (p < 0.001). In males, the profile of adipose disposition along the abdomen was uniform (p > 0.05). Correlations between VAT measured by USG and cardiometabolic parameters were relatively stronger in the upper abdomen (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Women accumulate more VAT in the narrower waist region, while men accumulate VAT uniformly across the abdomen. There was relative superiority in predicting cardiometabolic risk in the upper abdomen for both sexes.

Evaluation of muscle loss by ultrasonography in critically ill patients.

BACKGROUND: Critically ill patients have intense muscle tissue mobilization, and attenuating protein catabolism may contribute to improved outcomes. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate short-term muscle loss in critically ill patients. METHODS: In this prospective observational study, we evaluated the thickness of the rectus femoris muscle by ultrasonography in young and older adults of both sexes admitted to a cardiological intensive care unit within 48 h of admission (baseline) and after 7 days. The results were compared and correlated with anthropometric, clinical, and biochemical parameters. The significance level for all statistical analyses was 0.05. RESULTS: The final sample comprised 88 patients with a mean age of 66.2 ± 11.8 years. There was an average 13.5% reduction in rectus femoris muscle thickness over the study period (P < 0.001), regardless of the thigh circumference maintenance (P = 0.229). This reduction occurred even with improved clinical parameters (C-reactive protein, Simplified Acute Physiology Score) and was greater in patients receiving mechanical ventilation and sedation and in those who died. Regarding nutrition status, malnourished and eutrophic individuals showed greater muscle loss than overweight individuals. There was also an inverse correlation of muscle loss (percentage) with body mass index, arm circumference, and calf circumference (P < 0.05), demonstrating that the lower these anthropometric measurements, the higher the muscle loss obtained by ultrasound. CONCLUSION: Ultrasonography assessment detected muscle mass loss in the short-term more sensitively than the anthropometric method. However, it demands caution and further studies demonstrating this analysis.

Wasting syndrome and associated factors in hospitalized older people.

Wasting syndrome (WS) is characterized by clinically important unintentional weight loss >5 % in six to 12 months. This syndrome is responsible for a significant portion of hospitalizations throughout the world and is an important indicator of serious diseases, especially in individuals with 60 years of age or older. The aim of the present study was to investigate WS and associated factors in hospitalized older people. An observational cross-sectional study was developed at a university hospital in Brazil with male and female patients ≥60 years of age. WS was considered in the occurrence of unintentional weight loss of 10 % in 12 months, 7.5 % in six months or >5 % in three months. Data were collected on sociodemographic, clinical, lifestyle, nutritional and biochemical characteristics. This study received approval from the local institutional review board and all participants signed a statement of informed consent. The sample was composed of 178 older people with a mean age of 70.0 ± 8.0 years. The prevalence of WS was 45.5 %. WS was associated with the following clinical variables: conservative CKD (p = 0.007), dysphagia (p = 0.035), dementia (p = 0.017), anorexia (p < 0.001), fatigue (p = 0.001), functional dependence (measured using the Barthel Index) (p = 0.001) and medications that cause malabsorption (p = 0.020); the following nutritional variables: body mass index (p < 0.001), low calf circumference (p < 0.001), low muscle strength (p = 0.001), low muscle mass (p < 0.001) and undernourishment or risk of malnutrition (evaluated using the Mini Nutritional Assessment); and the following biochemical variables: high CRP (p = 0.027), hypoalbuminemia (p = 0.005) and anemia (p < 0.001). The prevalence of WS was high among the hospitalized older people in the present sample and was associated with clinical and biochemical aspects as well as all nutritional variables analyzed. In contrast, lifestyle and sociodemographic characteristics were not associated with wasting syndrome.

Association between being underweight and excess body weight before SARS coronavirus type 2 infection and clinical outcomes of coronavirus disease 2019: Multicenter study.

OBJECTIVES: The present study aimed to identify associations between extremes in body weight status (underweight and excess body weight) before a COVID-19 diagnosis and clinical outcomes in patients infected with SARS coronavirus type 2. METHODS: A multicenter cohort study was conducted in eight different states in northeastern Brazil. Demographic, clinical (previous diagnosis of comorbidities), and anthropometric (self-reported weight and height) data about individuals who tested positive for COVID-19 were collected. Outcomes included hospitalization, mechanical ventilation, and death. Multivariable logistic regression models, adjusted based on age, sex and previous comorbidities, were used to assess the effects of extremes in body weight status on clinical outcomes. RESULTS: A total of 1308 individuals were assessed (33.6% were elderly individuals). The univariable analyses showed that only hospitalization was more often observed among underweight (3.2% versus 1.2%) and overweight (68.1% versus 63.3%) individuals. In turn, cardiovascular diseases were more often observed in all clinical outcomes (hospitalization: 19.7% versus 4.8%; mechanical ventilation: 19.9% versus 13.5%; death: 21.8% versus 14.1%). Based on the multivariable analysis, body weight status was not associated with risk of hospitalization (underweight: odds ratio [OR]: 1.10; 95% confidence interval [CI] 95%, 0.50-2.41 and excess body weight: OR: 0.81; 95 CI, 0.57-1.14), mechanical ventilation (underweight: OR: 0.92; 95% CI, 0.52-1.62 and excess weight: OR: 0.90; 95% CI, 0.67-1.19), and death (underweight: OR: 0.61; 95% CI, 0.31-1.20 and excess body weight: OR 0.88; 95% CI, 0.63-1.23). CONCLUSIONS: Being underweight and excess body weight were not independently associated with clinical outcomes in patients with COVID-19 in the herein analyzed cohort. This finding indicates that the association between these variables may be confounded by both age and comorbidities.

Dynapenic abdominal obesity in hospitalized elderly patients with acute myocardial infarction.

Obesity and dynapenia are cardiovascular risk factors. When present together, it is called dynapenic abdominal obesity and can potentiate adverse outcomes. This study aims to estimate the prevalence of dynapenic abdominal obesity and its relationship with prognostic markers in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). This is a hybrid study with a longitudinal component plus a cross-sectional component at baseline involving elderly patients admitted to a reference hospital in cardiology due to AMI in the Brazilian Northeast from May to October 2015. We analyzed patients' admission data and evaluated some prognostic markers up to two years after admission. We established abdominal obesity by measuring waist circumference (>102 cm for men and >88 cm for women) and dynapenia by handgrip strength (<27 kg/F for men and <16 kg/F for women). We considered the prognostic markers troponin and creatinine kinase - MB (CKMB), AMI classification according to ST segment elevation, TIMI score, need for coronary angioplasty or coronary artery bypass surgery, complications during hospitalization and within two years after admission, and re-admission to the same service. We evaluated 92 patients with a mean age of 71.4 ± 7.5 years. The prevalence of abdominal obesity and dynapenia was 56.5% and 44.6%, respectively. The coexistence of the two conditions occurred in 25.0% of the patients, being higher among women (p < 0.001). When comparing the dynapenic abdominal obese groups with the group of patients who had one of the two isolated conditions we observed that, for a same mean age and clinical characteristics, patients with only one of the conditions had a higher CKMB (p = 0.046) and troponin median (p = 0.032). The presence of dynapenia in the groups of abdominal obese and non-abdominal obese individuals is not associated with risk marker parameters (p > 0.05). High prevalence of abdominal obesity and dynapenia occurred among patients with AMI and in a quarter of these both conditions coexisted. Dynapenic abdominal obesitydoes not increase the risk of adverse outcomes and isolated dynapenia is not a marker of a poor prognosis.

The impact of visceral fat and levels of vitamin D on coronary artery calcification.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluated calcification of the coronary arteries and its association with visceral fat and 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) serum levels. METHODS: A cross sectional study involving 140 individuals without any previous diagnosis of cardiovascular disease. A biochemical analysis of vitamin D serum levels was carried out, as well as computed tomography to measure coronary artery calcium score and visceral adipose tissue. RESULTS: The mean age of the individuals was 55.9 (±12.4). Coronary artery calcium was observed in 40.7% of the population. Vitamin D presented median serum levels of 30.4 ng/ml (IQ24.5-39.1), with 14,1 and 33.7% of the individuals presenting deficiency and insufficiency, respectively. In the univariate analysis, the calcium score was more prevalent in aged patients (p<0.01), in hypertensive individuals (p<0.01), in diabetics (p=0.02), and in those with a higher concentration of VAT (p=0.02). In the adjusted analysis, it was found that the highest concentration of VAT (OR: 4.0; 95%CI 1.4-11.7), hypertension (OR: 4.8; 95%CI 1.5-15.3), and age (OR: 10.4; 95%CI 3.9-27.6) were predictors of subclinical atherosclerosis, regardless of body mass index, diabetes, and 25OHD. CONCLUSIONS: Excess visceral fat was associated with subclinical atherosclerosis, regardless of other risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Serum levels of 25OHD were not associated with CAD in its early stages.

SARC-F and SARC-CalF in screening for sarcopenia in older adults with Parkinson's disease.

INTRODUCTION: Few studies have investigated the performance of screening tools in truly sarcopenic individuals, especially subgroups of this population, or in comparison to previous and current criteria for the definition of sarcopenia. OBJECTIVES: Evaluate the performance of SARC-F and SARC-CalF in screening for sarcopenia in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) in comparison to the diagnostic criteria proposed by the 2010 (1) and 2019 (2) European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP). METHODS: A methodological, cross-sectional study was conducted involving male and female patients ≥60 years of age diagnosed with PD in outpatient care. The risk of sarcopenia was assessed using the SARC-F and SARC-CalF questionnaires, the latter of which includes the calf circumference as an additional item. RESULTS: Sixty patients were evaluated (mean age: 68.9 ± 6.5 years). The prevalence of sarcopenia was 21.7% according to EWGSOP-2 and 55.0% according to EWGSOP-1. Positive screening for sarcopenia was 30% according to the SARC-F and 36.7% according to SARC-CalF. The sensitivity of the SARC-F for the detection of sarcopenia was 27.2% and 23.1% using the criteria of the 2010 and 2019 consensuses, respectively. The comparative analysis of the SARC-CalF revealed a better performance in the diagnostic discrimination with the addition of calf circumference, with sensitivity ranging from 53.8 to 54.5%. Higher sensitivity was found on items addressing the ability to stand up from a chair and climb stairs (69.2%) and the occurrence of falls (76.9%) compared to the use of the complete questionnaire. CONCLUSION: Relatively low sensitivity and an underestimation of sarcopenia were found in the analysis of the SARC-F as a screening tool for sarcopenia. Thus, a significant number of sarcopenic patients would not be identified using this screening tool alone. The SARC-CalF performed better than the SARC-F.

Visceral adiposity indicators and cardiovascular risk in hemodialytic patients.

OBJECTIVE: Cardiovascular diseases represent the main cause of death in chronic kidney disease (CKD). We aimed to evaluate the prevalence and association of the hypertriglyceridemia-waist phenotype (HWP) and visceral adiposity index (VAI) with cardiometabolic risk factors (CR) in patients with CKD on hemodialysis (HD). METHODS: The study is based on a cross-sectional design with 265 HD patients in two cities in northeastern Brazil. The VAI was calculated considering the variables body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), triglycerides (TG) and high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c). HWP was defined as the concomitant elevation of WC and TG. The Poisson Regression Model with robust variance estimation was adjusted considering a hierarchical approach for explanatory variables. Prevalence ratios (PR) were also estimated. The level of significance adopted was 5%. RESULTS: In our study HWP and VAI prevalence's were 29.82% and 58.49%, respectively. In the final model, there was an association between VAI and female gender (PR = 1.46; p < 0.0001) and high body fat (% BF) (PR = 1.33; p < 0.0019). HWP was associated with females (PR = 1.80; p = 0.002), alcohol consumption (PR = 1.58; p = 0.033), obesity (PR = 1.89; p = 0.0001), high %BF (PR = 1.76; p = 0.012) and reduced HDL-c (PR = 1.48; p = 0.035). CONCLUSION: The HWP stood out as the association with more CR factors, representing a promising method for tracking cardiometabolic risk in HD patients, mainly female.

Diabetic Patients with Cardiovascular Disease Show More Metabolic Syndrome than Nondiabetic Patients: Multicentric Study in the Northeast of Brazil.

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is associated with a higher prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MS) and cardiovascular mortality. However, few Brazilian studies evaluated MS in diabetic individuals with cardiovascular disease (CVD). Nevertheless, the objective of this study was to compare the prevalence of MS in cardiac patients with and without DM. Methods: Cross-sectional study of BALANCE Program Trial with patients with CVD, ≥45 years old, who had been attending specialized ambulatories on cardiovascular health, in eight states in the Northeast of Brazil. The components of MS were evaluated by following the criteria of National Cholesterol Education Program's Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP ATP III) and Joint Interim Statement (JIS). In addition, there were investigated different indexes of abdominal obesity, variables related to lifestyle, and food intake. The statistical analysis included descriptive statistics and the Student's t-test, Mann-Whitney, and chi-squared tests for the comparison of groups. There were significant values of P < 0.05. Results: Six hundred forty-seven individuals were evaluated with average (standard deviation) age of 63.1 (9.3) years, being 50.5% females and 40.3% diabetic patients. When the groups of patients who were diabetic and the nondiabetic ones, the first showed higher percentage of obesity (38.5% vs. 23.2%, P < 0.001), of high waist circumference (84.8% vs. 71.9%; P < 0.001), higher waist-height ratio [0.6 (0.6-0.7) vs. 0.6 (0.5-0.6); P < 0.001], conicity index [1.35 (1.29-1.39) vs. 1.32 (1.27-1.38); P = 0.004], and prevalence of MS, because of the criteria of NCEP ATP III (98.8% vs. 80.4%; P < 0.001), as well as the criteria of JIS (99.2% vs. 89.3%; P < 0.001). The component of higher frequency was high blood pressure and/or hypertension (95.0%), followed by hypertriglyceridemia (93.0%). There were no differences regarding age, lifestyle, and food intake. Conclusions: Diabetic individuals with CVD showed more prevalence of MS and more abdominal obesity than nondiabetic individuals. ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT01620398.

Sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity as prognostic predictors in hospitalized elderly patients with acute myocardial infarction.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the potential value of sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity as prognostic predictors in hospitalized elderly patients with acute myocardial infarction. METHODS: A cross-sectional study based on data collected from elderly patients with acute myocardial infarction, admitted to a public hospital located in the Northeastern region of Brazil, from April to July 2015. The diagnosis of sarcopenia was based on muscle mass, muscle strength and physical performance measurements. Cardiovascular risk and prognostic markers, such as troponin and creatine kynase MB isoenzyme values, acute myocardial infarction classification according to ST segment elevation, and thrombolysis in myocardial infarction score were used. RESULTS: The sample comprised 99 patients with mean age of 71.6 (±7.4) years. Prevalence of sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity was 64.6% and 35.4%, respectively. Sarcopenia was more prevalent among males (p=0.017) aged >80 years (p=0.008). Thrombolysis in myocardial infarction was the only marker of cardiovascular risk significantly associated with sarcopenia (p=0.002). CONCLUSION: Prevalence of sarcopenia was high and associated with thrombolysis in myocardial infarction risk score. Sarcopenic obesity affected approximately one-third of patients and was not associated with any of the prognostic predictors.

Frailty does not affect prognostic markers in patients with acute coronary syndrome: results from a Brazilian university hospital

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate frailty and its relationship with prognostic markers in hospitalized patients with acute coronary syndrome. METHODS: This cross-sectional study with a prospective variable analysis (prognostic markers) involved adults of both sexes aged ≥ 50 years with acute coronary syndrome. Patients with ≥ 3 of the following criteria were considered frail: 1) unintentional weight loss; 2) exhaustion (assessed by self-reported fatigue); 3) low handgrip strength; 4) low physical activity level; and 5) low gait speed. The included prognostic markers were: metabolic changes (lipid and glycemic profile), changes in inflammatory status (C-reactive protein), thrombolysis in myocardial infarction risk score, troponin level, angioplasty or surgery, hospitalization in the intensive care unit, length of hospital stay, and hospital outcome. RESULTS: The sample consisted of 125 patients, whose mean age was 65.5 (SD, 8.7) years. The prevalence of frailty was 48.00%, which was higher in women (PR = 1.55; 95%CI 1.08­2.22; p = 0.018) and patients with systemic arterial hypertension (PR = 2.18; 95%CI 1.01­5.24; p = 0.030). Frailty was not associated with age, cardiac diagnosis, or prognostic markers (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Frailty was highly prevalent in patients with acute coronary syndrome, affecting almost half of the sample, particularly women and patients with hypertension, irrespective of age. However, despite its high prevalence, frailty was not associated with markers of metabolic change or poor prognosis.

Obesity versus underweight: the prognostic impact of body mass phenotypes in hospitalized older patients / Obesidade versus baixo peso: o impacto prognóstico de fenótipos de massa corporal em pacientes idosos hospitalizados

Objective: To compare the frequency of underweight and obesity among previously hospitalized older adults and analyze their association with malnutrition, sarcopenia, frailty, inflammatory markers, and adverse outcomes both during hospitalization and after discharge. Methods: This secondary analysis of a prospective study, conducted at Hospital das Clínicas da Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Brazil, included hospitalized older patients (age ≥ 60 y). Nutritional status, body composition, sarcopenia, frailty, and outcomes were assessed. Cox regression was performed to evaluate the impact of the body mass phenotypes on clinical outcomes. Results: This secondary analysis included one hundred patients. The prevalence of obesity was 22.10%, while that of underweight was 34.60%. Individuals with underweight had a higher frequency of weaker immune response, worse inflammatory profile, higher nutritional risk, higher frequency of sarcopenia and malnutrition, longer hospital stay, and a higher incidence of mortality when compared to those with obesity. Being underweight was independently associated with higher mortality rates, even after adjustment for age, sex, muscle mass, malnutrition, and diagnosis of malignancy [adjusted HR = 2.82 (95% confidence interval 1.03 ­ 7.72), p = 0.044]. Conclusion: The underweight phenotype represented a worst-case scenario in hospitalized older patients. (AU)

Evaluation of ultrasonographic approaches aimed at determining distinct abdominal adipose tissue depots

ABSTRACT Objective: To analyze different anatomical sites in the abdominal region, in order to determine the positional parameter that identifies a higher level of visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and confers a greater cardiometabolic risk. Materials and methods: This is a methodological study in which VAT was evaluated by ultrasonography (USG) in three anatomical sites in the abdomen, while the abdominal circumference (AC) was measured using seven different protocols. Additionally, the glycemic and lipid profile, C-reactive protein, and the presence of systemic arterial hypertension were evaluated. Results: One hundred and six individuals with an average age of 42 (36.8-46.2) years were included. The evaluation of the calibration of the ultrasound procedure for the analysis of VAT by intra- and inter-evaluators showed high reproducibility. The pattern of abdominal fat distribution differed between sexes, with higher mean VAT in males (p < 0.05) and higher mean SAT (subcutaneous adipose tissue) in females (p < 0.005). In the abdominal scan applied to women, higher levels of VAT and lower levels of SAT were observed in the narrower waist region, between the iliac crest and the last rib (p < 0.001). In males, the profile of adipose disposition along the abdomen was uniform (p > 0.05). Correlations between VAT measured by USG and cardiometabolic parameters were relatively stronger in the upper abdomen (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Women accumulate more VAT in the narrower waist region, while men accumulate VAT uniformly across the abdomen. There was relative superiority in predicting cardiometabolic risk in the upper abdomen for both sexes.

Cachexia in hospitalized patients with heart failure.

AIMS: to evaluate cachexia prevalence in hospitalized heart failure (HF) patients by comparing two methods for diagnosing cachexia and alterations in each component involved in its diagnosis. METHOD: a cross-sectional study, involving patients diagnosed with HF and admitted between April and August 2015 to a public hospital in the Brazilian Northeast. Cardiac cachexia was defined using the Cachexia Consensus criteria (Washington, DC), which defines cachexia as ≥ 5% unintentional weight loss in the previous 12 months or a body mass index (BMI) ≤ 20.0 kg/m², in combination with at least two of the following criteria: fatigue, anorexia, low hand grip strength, low muscle strength, and biological alterations (hemoglobin < 12 g/dl, albumin < 3.2 g/dl, and PCR ≥ 5 mg/dl), and for comparative purposes a diagnostic criterion which considers weight loss ≥ 6% in at least six months as a cachexia diagnosis. RESULTS: one hundred and fifty-six individuals were evaluated, with an average age of 59.1 (± 15.3). Cachexia prevalence was 37.2% and associated with a low BMI (p < 0.001), low muscle mass (p < 0.001), reduced ejection fraction (p = 0.005), hypoalbuminemia (p = 0.040), and anemia (p = 0.002). Among the diagnostic components, the greatest alterations were observed in relation to fatigue (88.2%), anorexia (72.1%) and weight loss (61.7%). CONCLUSIONS: the high prevalence of diagnosed cachexia indicates that this condition is common and is associated with poor nutritional state and clinical condition.

Waist circumference measurement sites and their association with visceral and subcutaneous fat and cardiometabolic abnormalities.

OBJECTIVES: To estimate the degree of variability of the waist circumference (WC) when obtained in different anatomical sites and compare the performance of the measurement sites as predictors of visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) and cardiometabolic abnormalities. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Cross-sectional study involving 119 individuals with overweight (50.3 ± 12.2 years), in which six WC measurement sites were evaluated (minimal waist, immediately below the lowest rib, midpoint between the lowest rib and the iliac crest, 2 cm above the umbilicus, immediately above the iliac crest, umbilicus level), in addition to the VAT and SAT (quantified by computed tomography) and cardiometabolic parameters. RESULTS: The differences between the measurements ranged from 0.2 ± 2.7 cm to 6.9 ± 6.7 cm for men, and from 0.1 ± 3.7 cm to 10.1 ± 4.3 cm for women. The minimum waist showed significant correlation with VAT (r = 0.70) and with a higher number of cardiometabolic parameters among men. Regarding women, the WC measurement showed high correlation with SAT and moderate correlation with VAT, not being found superiority of one measurement protocol in relation to the others when assessed the correlation with VAT and with cardiometabolic parameters. CONCLUSIONS: Greater variability between the measuring sites was observed among women. With respect to men, the minimum waist performed better as a predictor of VAT and cardiometabolic alterations.

Effects of weight loss on adipose visceral and subcutaneous tissue in overweight adults.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Weight loss is an important strategy for mitigating the complications of obesity. However, weight reduction does not provide detailed information on relative changes in bodily behaviors and in abdominal fat deposits (adipose visceral tissue (AVT) and adipose subcutaneous tissue (AST)). The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of weight loss based on calorie restriction on AVT and AST in overweight individuals (1); to verify the metabolic benefits resulting from AVT reduction (2); and to the analyze the influence of covariates in AVT and AST reduction (3). METHODS: Clinical intervention study involving overweight adult patients, seen at a public hospital in the Northeast of Brazil, who underwent three months of calorie restriction. AVT and AST were quantified using computed tomography at the baseline and at the end of a follow up. RESULTS: 51 patients were evaluated (50.2 ± 11.3 years old), for whom it was verified that a 5.8(±6.2)% weight reduction in the men resulted in a 11.2(±7.9)% reduction in AVT and 6.8(±11.2)% in AST. Among the women, a 4.1(±2.5)% reduction in initial weight resulted in a 11.1(±8.8)% decrease in AVT and 5.6(±7.4)% in AST. Simple linear regression showed that a reduction in AVT caused a 54.9% reduction in triglyceride concentrations in the men and a 12.2% reduction in cholesterol and 31.4% in triglyceride levels in women. Multiple regression identified different factors that influenced the reduction in visceral and subcutaneous fat. The predictive models explained 42.9% and 54.8% of the AVT reduction in the females and males, respectively; and 39.9% and 86.7% of the AST reduction in the females and males, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: A modest 5% weight loss caused substantial AVT and AST mobilization, with potential benefits to cardiometabolic profile.

Phase Angle as a Sarcopenia Marker in Hospitalized Elderly Patients.

BACKGROUND: Phase angle (PhA) has been proposed as a parameter to predict clinical outcomes and mortality for various diseases. Several studies have considered it an important nutrition assessment tool. However, the usefulness of this parameter as a sarcopenia marker has not yet been evaluated. This study was developed to evaluate the performance of PhA as a sarcopenia marker in hospitalized elderly patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study involving elderly patients admitted to a hospital in northeastern Brazil. The PhA was obtained from resistance and reactance measurements by bioelectrical impedance. Sarcopenia was defined as a decrease in muscle mass associated with a reduced muscle strength or physical performance. RESULTS: The sample consisted of 148 patients with a mean age of 71.6 (±7.6) years and a 62.8% prevalence of sarcopenia. The average PhA was 5.9 ± 2.0°, similar for men and women (5.9 ± 2.3 vs 5.9 ± 1.8; P = .946). In men, sarcopenic patients had a lower average PhA (5.6 ± 2.3°) when compared with patients without this condition (6.8 ± 1.9°; P = .024). When comparing the value of PhA regarding the degree of sarcopenia, it was found that patients from both sexes with severe sarcopenia had lower averages. The PhA had a low predictive capacity in relation to the diagnostic components of sarcopenia (physical performance, muscle mass, and strength). CONCLUSION: PhA was an inaccurate marker to identify sarcopenia and presented low predictive capacity to explain muscle mass, muscle strength, and functional capacity, components involved in the diagnosis of sarcopenia.

Predictive models for estimating visceral fat: The contribution from anthropometric parameters.

BACKGROUND: Excessive adipose visceral tissue (AVT) represents an independent risk factor for cardiometabolic alterations. The search continues for a highly valid marker for estimating visceral adiposity that is a simple and low cost tool able to screen individuals who are highly at risk of being viscerally obese. The aim of this study was to develop a predictive model for estimating AVT volume using anthropometric parameters. OBJECTIVE: Excessive adipose visceral tissue (AVT) represents an independent risk factor for cardiometabolic alterations. The search continues for a highly valid marker for estimating visceral adiposity that is a simple and low cost tool able to screen individuals who are highly at risk of being viscerally obese. The aim of this study was to develop a predictive model for estimating AVT volume using anthropometric parameters. METHODS: A cross-sectional study involving overweight individuals whose AVT was evaluated (using computed tomography-CT), along with the following anthropometric parameters: body mass index (BMI), abdominal circumference (AC), waist-to-hip ratio (WHpR), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), sagittal diameter (SD), conicity index (CI), neck circumference (NC), neck-to-thigh ratio (NTR), waist-to-thigh ratio (WTR), and body adiposity index (BAI). RESULTS: 109 individuals with an average age of 50.3±12.2 were evaluated. The predictive equation developed to estimate AVT in men was AVT = -1647.75 +2.43(AC) +594.74(WHpR) +883.40(CI) (R2 adjusted: 64.1%). For women, the model chosen was: AVT = -634.73 +1.49(Age) +8.34(SD) + 291.51(CI) + 6.92(NC) (R2 adjusted: 40.4%). The predictive ability of the equations developed in relation to AVT volume determined by CT was 66.9% and 46.2% for males and females, respectively (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: A quick and precise AVT estimate, especially for men, can be obtained using only AC, WHpR, and CI for men, and age, SD, CI, and NC for women. These equations can be used as a clinical and epidemiological tool for overweight individuals.

The applicability of the Visceral Adiposity Index (VAI) for predicting visceral fat / Aplicabilidade do Índice de Adiposidade Visceral (IAV) como preditor de gordura visceral

Abstract As obesity has reached epidemic proportions and given the current recognition of central adiposity as an important cardiometabolic risk factor, several researchers have focused on developing and validating predictive indexes and equations to evaluate Visceral Adipose Tissue (VAT). This study evaluates the applicability of the Visceral Adiposity Index (VAI) for predicting cardiometabolic risk in individuals treated in a hospital In the northeast region of Brazil. The VAT was evaluated by computed tomography (CT) and the VAI was calculated through specific equations for each gender. The sample involved adult and elderly patients of both genders followed up in a cardiology outpatient clinic. The following cardiometabolic parameters were collected: fasting glycemia, glycated hemoglobin, lipid profile, C-reactive protein (CRP) and uric acid. The simple linear regression was used to evaluate the explanatory power of the VAI in relation to the volume of VAT determined by CT. The predictive capacity of VAI in relation to the volume of VAT determined by CT was 25.8% (p=0.004) for males and 19.9% (p<0.001) for females. VAI correlated strongly with the triglyceride (TG) (p<0.001) and TG/high-density lipoprotein (HDL) ratio (p<0.001) and inversely correlated with HDL (p<0.001). Moreover, VAI showed low correlation with the following variables: abdominal circumference, total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein, fasting glycemia, and glycated hemoglobin (p<0.05). VAI was associated with variables considered as cardiometabolic risk factors, but exhibited a low predictive capacity regarding the volume of VAT determined by CT. Thus, caution is recommended in its use in Brazilian individuals.

Resumo Em razão de a obesidade ter alcançado proporções epidêmicas e dado ao atual reconhecimento da adiposidade central como um importante fator de risco cardiometabólico, diversos pesquisadores têm se dedicado em desenvolver e validar índices e equações preditivas para avaliar o Tecido Adiposo Visceral (TAV). Este estudo avaliou a aplicabilidade do Índice de Adiposidade Visceral (IAV) como preditor de risco cardiometabólico em indivíduos atendidos em um hospital no nordeste brasileiro. O TAV foi avaliado por tomografia computadorizada (TC) e o IAV foi calculado através de equações específicas para cada sexo. A amostra envolveu pacientes adultos e idosos de ambos os sexos acompanhados no ambulatório de cardiologia. Os seguintes parâmetros cardiometabólicos foram coletados: glicemia de jejum, hemoglobina glicada, perfil lipídico, proteína C-reativa e ácido úrico. Regressão linear simples foi empregada para avaliar o poder explicativo do IAV em relação ao volume de TAV determinado por TC. A capacidade preditiva do IAV em relação ao volume de TAV determinado pela TC foi de 25,8% (p=0,004) para o sexo masculino e 19,9% (p<0,001) para o sexo feminino. O IAV se correlacionou fortemente com as variáveis TG (r=0,916, p< 0,001) e TG/HDL (r=0,952, p<0,001) e inversamente com o HDL (r=-0,441, p<0,001), além disso, apresentou baixa correlação com as variáveis: circunferência abdominal, colesterol total, lipoproteína de baixa densidade, glicemia de jejum e hemoglobina glicada (p<0,05). O IAV associou-se com variáveis consideradas fatores de risco cardiometabólico, porém exibiu baixa capacidade preditiva em relação ao volume de TAV determinado pela TC, sendo recomendada cautela em sua utilização em indivíduos brasileiros.