Abstract: 【Abstract】Objective This study aimed to analyze the correlation between phase angle measured by bioelectrical impedance method and sarcopenia in maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients and to explore the role of phase angle in sarcopenia. Methods We enrolled 346 MHD patients with regular dialysis in this study. Their relevant data were collected. Multivariate linear regression was used to analyze the influencing factors for phase angle in MHD patients. Receiver operating characteristic curve and area under the curve (AUC) were used to evaluate the predictive value of phase angle for sarcopenia. Results Multivariate linear regression showed that the phase angle was linear with age, albumin, fat free mass, skeletal muscle mass index, handgrip strength, gait speed (B=- 0.192, 0.180, 0.889, 0.978, 0.212 and 0.210 respectively; P＜0.05). The best cutoff value of phase angle for sarcopenia was 4.67° , with the AUC of 0.823, the sensitivity of 86.7%, and the specificity of 67.4% (P＜0.001). Conclusions This study found that phase angle was closely related to sarcopenia component in MHD patients, and was an important predictor for sarcopenia. As a simple and convenient clinical index, phase angle can provide objective reference for early diagnosis of sarcopenia in MHD patients.

Key words: Maintenance hemodialysis, Sarcopenia, Phase angle, Body composition