Analysis of Anomalies in Bioimpedance Models for the Estimation of Body Composition

Abstract

Bioimpedance analysis is a simple, safe and noninvasive method for Body Composition Estimation (BCE), which is of great interest for the monitoring of patients on renal replacement therapy. The most featured bioimpedance devices available are based on the bioimpedance spectroscopy technique, the extended Cole model and the Hanai Mixture theory. However, a set of anomalies using these methods has been found in this paper during the study of the evolution of body composition in patients on peritoneal dialysis. The main results obtained show that the estimates resulting from bioimpedance values that differ significantly from the single-dispersion Cole model have to be taken with some caution. This issue highlights the importance of medical assessment (technical or specialist) when interpreting any bioimpedance related data.