External validation of equations based on bioelectrical impedance analysis to estimate appendicular skeletal muscle mass in a large sample of non-Caucasian older adults: Importance of the bias analysis to derive a valid correction factor

Abstract

There are several equations based on bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) to estimate with high precision appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM). However, most of the external validation studies have reported that these equations are inaccurate or biased when applied to di����erent populations. Furthermore, none of the published studies has derived correction factors (CFs) in samples of community-dwelling older adults, and none of the published studies have assessed the influence of the dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) model on the validation process. This study assessed the agreement between six BIA equations and DXA to estimate ASM in non-Caucasian olderadults considering the DXA model and proposed a CF for three of them. This analysis included 547 non-institutionalized subjects over 60 years old from the northwest of Mexico who were physically independent and without cognitive impairment: 192 subjects were measured using DXA Hologic, while 355 were measured by DXA Lunar. The agreement between each of the equations and DXA was tested considering the DXA model used as a reference method for the design of each equation, using the Bland and Altman procedure, a paired t test, and simple linear regression as objective tests. This process was supported by the di����erences reported in the literature and confirmed in a subsample of 70 subjects measured with both models. Only six published BIA equations were included. The results showed that four equations overestimated ASMDXA, and two underestimated it (p < 0.001, 95% CI for Kim’s equation:−5.86-−5.45, Toselli’s:−0.51-−0.15, Kyle’s: 1.43–1.84, Rangel-Peniche’s: 0.32–0.74, Sergi’s: 0.83–1.23, and Yoshida’s: 4.16–4.63 kg). However, Toselli’s, Kyle’s and Rangel-Peniche’s equations were the only ones that complied with having a homogeneous bias. This finding allowed the derivation of CFs, which consisted of subtracting or adding themean of the di����erences fromthe original equation. After estimating ASM applying the respective CF, the new ASM estimations showed no significant bias and its distribution remained homogeneously distributed. Therefore, agreement with DXA in the sample of non-Caucasian was achieved. Adding valid CFs to some BIA equations allowed to reduce the bias of some equations,making themvalid to estimate themean values of ASM at group level.