Association between phase angle of bioelectrical impedance analysis and nutritional parameters in older adults

INTRODUCTION: Phase angle (PhA) is a Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) parameter representing an indicator of cellular health and has been suggested as a biomarker of nutritional status. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between PhA and nutritional parameters in older adults. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted with community-dwelling older adults. Body mass index (BMI), arm muscle circumference (AMC), calf circumference (CC), body fat percentage (BF%), appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASMM), serum albumin, mini-nutritional assessment (MNA), and PhA were assessed. Kolmogorov­Smirnov test, Spearman's correlation coefficient, chi-square test, and Poisson regression models were performed. RESULTS: 144 participants were included in the study, and most of them were female, aged ≥80 years, and underweight. Most older adults with lower PhA were women, aged range 80­89 years, and with reduced ASMM (p<0.05). PhA presented a significant correlation with age (r=­0.417; p<0.001), ASMM (r=0.427; p<0.001), AMC (r=0.195; p=0.019) and BF% (r=­0.223; p=0.007). Older adults with lower PhA present reduced ASMM (PR: 1.25; 95%CI: 1.04­1.50), and hypoalbuminemia (PR: 1.50; 95%CI: 1.11­2.03). CONCLUSION: PhA is related to commonly nutritional indicators used in clinical practice and could be an important biomarker of muscle mass reserves in community-living older adults of both sexes.

Desigualdades raciais em saúde e a pandemia da Covid-19 / Racial health inequalities and the COVID-19 pandemic / Las desigualdades raciales en la salud y la pandemia del Covid-19

Resumo O racismo é um sistema estruturante, gerador de comportamentos, práticas, crenças e preconceitos que fundamentam desigualdades evitáveis e injustas, baseadas na raça ou etnia. Na saúde o racismo pode se manifestar de diversas formas, como o institucional, que frequentemente ocorre de forma implícita. A pandemia do coronavírus tem sido um desafio para países que apresentam profundas desigualdades. No Brasil, em que pese a ausência das informações desagregadas por raça ou etnia ou que quando coletadas apresentam um preenchimento precário, sabe-se que negras e negros irão sofrer mais severamente os impactos da pandemia e seus vários desfechos negativos. No texto recuperamos aspectos históricos e sua relação com as condições de vulnerabilidade da população negra e apresentamos uma agenda de ações específicas para o combate ao racismo e suas devastadoras consequências no contexto da Covid-19.

Abstract Racism is a structural system that generates behaviors, practices, beliefs and prejudices that underlie unfair and avoidable inequalities, based on race or ethnicity. In health, racism can manifest itself in several ways, including institutional racism, which often occurs covertly. The coronavirus pandemic has been a challenge for countries with profound inequalities. In Brazil, despite the absence of information disaggregated by race or ethnicity, and even when collected, oftentimes recorded with errors; it is known that black people will suffer more sever impacts of the pandemic as well as its various negative outcomes. In this article we recall historical aspects and their relationship with the vulnerability of black population as well as suggest specific actions to combat racism and its devastating consequences in the context of COVID-19.

Resumen El racismo es un sistema estructural, que genera comportamientos, prácticas, creencias y prejuicios que dan fundamento a desigualdades que son evitables e injustas, basadas en la raza o etnia. En la salud, el racismo se puede manifestar de varias maneras, como la institucional, que a menudo ocurre de manera implícita. La pandemia del coronavirus ha sido un desafío para países que presentan grandes desigualdades. En Brasil, a pesar de la falta de información separadas por raza o etnia, o que, cuando se recopila, las respuestas son incompletas; se sabe que la raza negra, sufrirán mucho más los impactos de la pandemia y los diversos resultados negativos. En el texto recuperamos aspectos históricos y su relación con las condiciones de vulnerabilidad de la población negra y presentamos un plan de acciones específicas para combatir el racismo y sus consecuencias devastadoras dentro del contexto de Covid-19.