Phase angle and mortality: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The phase angle, expressed through bioelectrical impedance, has been studied as a prognostic marker in several health conditions. As this issue is still conflicting, the question whether this parameter correlates with mortality in the most diverse clinical situations remains. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the relationship between phase angle and mortality through a systematic review of the literature.

SUBJECTS/METHODS: This research was conducted in electronic databases (Pubmed, Embase, Cochrane, Lilacs, Scielo, e Scopus), and included studies that had phase angle as a variable of interest and mortality/survival as an outcome. Data were extracted independently by two reviewers and disagreements were assessed by a third reviewer.

RESULTS: Forty-eight of 455 papers were assessed and an amount of 42 showed a correlation between phase angle and mortality.

CONCLUSIONS: Phase angle seems to be a good indicator for mortality in many clinical situations and can be used in screening individuals prone to this outcome.