From Body Composition to Nutritional Status: Iuliu Hatieganu University’s Research with Visbody S30

About the Study

As populations age, the relationship between chronic kidney disease (CKD) and malnutrition among older adults has received increasing attention. For hospitalized elderly patients, body weight or BMI alone may not provide a complete picture of nutritional status. Body composition measures, inkludert kroppsfett, can provide additional information for nutritional assessment.

Published in Life i 2025, this study included 793 hospitalized patients aged 65 and older and was conducted by Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, together with other institutions. The study examined the relationship between nutritional status, chronic kidney disease, kidney function, and albuminuria.

The researchers used a comprehensive nutritional assessment approach and performed bioelektrisk impedansanalyse (BIA) to measure total body fat mass and visceral fat. The study specifically used the Visbody S30 Bioelectrical Impedance Body Composition Analyser Scanner for body composition assessment.

Utfordringen: Taking a More Complete View of Nutritional Status in Older Adults

Nutritional status in older adults can be influenced by a combination of age, chronic conditions, kidney function, og kroppssammensetning.

For patients with CKD, relying only on body weight, BMI, or laboratory measurements may not provide a complete understanding of changes in body composition. The research team needed to bring together different types of data to assess nutritional status more comprehensively and examine how these measures relate to kidney function and albuminuria.

Alongside conventional anthropometric measurements and nutritional assessment tools, the study therefore incorporated objective body composition data, gjelder også body fat and visceral fat, to support a deeper analysis of nutritional status in older patients.

Løsningen: Using Visbody S30 for Body Composition Assessment

As part of the study, the research team used Visbody S30 for BIA-based body composition assessment. By measuring total body fat mass and visceral fat, the device provided body composition data to support the study of nutritional status.

Combined with other nutritional assessment methods, Visbody S30 enabled the researchers to examine patients’ physical status from multiple perspectives and further explore the relationship between body composition, CKD, albuminuria, and nutritional risk.

The study found that as albuminuria increased, several nutritional indicators became less favorable, including lower serum albumin, lower body fat and visceral fat, and lower MNA and GNRI scores. The study also found that elderly patients with CKD G3a–5 had poorer overall nutritional status.

By incorporating BIA-based body composition data into the research process, Visbody S30 provided quantitative body composition measures that supported research into nutrition and CKD among older adults.

Resultatet: Bringing Body Composition into Nutritional Research

The study highlights the close relationship between nutritional status, kidney function, and albuminuria in older adults with CKD. Body composition data can provide an additional perspective for understanding these relationships.

Til hospital nutrition departments, geriatric medicine, behandling av kronisk sykdom, and clinical nutrition research, body composition assessment can serve as more than a tool for weight management. It can also provide valuable data for nutritional assessment and longer-term health research.

By integrating BIA-based body composition analysis into the research workflow, Visbody S30 provides objective data on measures such as body fat and visceral fat, supporting a more quantitative approach to body composition assessment and research in elderly nutrition, CKD management, and healthy aging.

Kilde

Malnutrition in Elderly Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease—The Role of Albuminuria

Series Studies by «Iuliu Haţieganu» University of Medicine and Pharmacy

Studere 1: Making Body Composition Measurable: Visbody S30 in Clinical Research on Older Adults with CKD 

Studere 2: Visbody S30 Supports Sarcopenia and Body Composition Assessment in Older Adults

Studere 3: Current article