Can Total Body Resistance Measured Using Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis Be the Index of Dehydration in Older Japanese Patients?

BACKGROUND: Dehydration in older patients has long been considered a significant health problem because it implies increased morbidity and mortality. However, dehydration is detected by a combination of physical signs and blood tests. For older people dwelling at home and in nursing homes, a simple and non-invasive method for detecting dehydration by caregivers is needed. The total body resistance is measured using bioelectrical impedance analysis and is known as an indicator of dehydration. There are no data from older Japanese patients on this issue. We performed this study to examine the relationship between dehydration and total body resistance in Japan.

METHODS: We performed blood tests and measured bioelectrical impedance in older outpatients aged ≥ 65 years from the Internal Medicine Department at Mito Kyodo General Hospital. Patients were classified as dehydrated and non-dehydrated using the dehydration index with a blood urea nitrogen/creatinine ratio > 20, and the mean total body resistance was compared between the two groups.

RESULTS: Eighty-one patients were recruited in the study. In the dehydrated group, the mean total body resistance was 439 Ω at 50 kHz, which was significantly higher than that in the non-dehydrated group (408 Ω, P = 0.038).

CONCLUSIONS: The total body resistance measurements can be used for simple assessment of dehydration among older Japanese patients.