Body composition in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome: a validation study of bioelectric impedance analysis.

The objective of this validation study was to explore bioelectric impedance analysis (BIA) as a way to assess nutritional status and body composition. The study was done in the outpatient department of the AIDS unit at University Hospital Dijkzigt, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Eleven clinically stable patients with AIDS were studied. Total body water, body fat, lean body mass, and body cell mass were measured and calculated with multiple dilution techniques and BIA. With linear regression analysis, a strong correlation was found between total body water and lean body mass derived from BIA and multiple dilution techniques (r2 = .96 and .98, respectively), and slightly weaker correlation was found for body cell mass and body fat (r2 = .88 and .76, respectively). These results suggest that BIA is a suitable method for the assessment of body cell mass in HIV-infected patients without opportunistic infections. The technique is safe, noninvasive, fast, and inexpensive.