Reference values of the bioimpedance vector components in a Caribbean population

SummaryBackground & aimsApplication of bioelectrical impedance vector analysis (BIVA) requires comparison of an impedance vector to reference intervals derived from healthy subjects. The aim of this work is to obtain reference nomograms of bioimpedance vectors from healthy subjects living in Santiago de Cuba.MethodsA sample of 4030 healthy people, ages 2–80 y, was measured using a tetra-polar whole-body bioimpedance analyzer at 50 kHz. BIVA method uses the 50, 75 and 95% confidence ellipses of reference populations to classify individual and group vectors.ResultsThe 95% confidence ellipses derived among boys and girls (2–12 y) were similar (P > 0.05) with significant gender differences (P < 0.05) throughout adulthood. Furthermore, we can observe a progressive decrease in the modulus of the impedance with age with the same phase angle from 13 to 59 y. However, in both genders on subjects >60 y we also observed a phase downfall, possibly due to the reduction of mass and structure, by sarcopenia.ConclusionsReference ellipses are provided, distributed in six sets resulting in age separation intervals (not in gender) for children from 2 to 12 y; two gender specific reference ellipses for teenagers in the range of 13–16 y, for adults from 17 to 59 y and for elderly people from 60 to 80 y.