seca analytics 115

Overweight and obesity have become significant subjects in today’s healthcare because the more fat the body accumulates the higher chance of suffering from heart disease, diabetes mellitus, stroke and high blood pressure.

Distinguishing between apple-shaped and pear-shaped bodies is vital because this demonstrates where most of the fat is deposited within the body. Individuals who tend to store fat around the waist (apple-shaped bodies) are at a greater health risk than those who accumulate fat around the hips, thighs, and butt (pear-shaped bodies). Thus, these are substantial reasons for the growing need of measuring tapes.

The phase angle is an indicator of overall health, metabolic activity and nutritional status. Percentiles in the normal ranges for age and gender are suitable for interpretation of the data.

In addition to an adequate cell mass (BMI in the normal range), a pronounced muscle mass has a strong influence on the phase angle. Since men have a higher proportion of muscle than women typically men have a higher phase angle. As we age, the phase angle declines with muscle mass and metabolic changes. Low phase angle values result from reduced cell mass (underweight), chronic illness and in particular from overhydration (e.g., in dialysis).

Bioelectrical Impedance Vector Analysis (BIVA) presents information on Total Body Water and the phase angle in a single diagram. This allows the doctor to assess the patient's hydration status, nutritional status and fitness level. By considering these values together, the doctor can distinguish, for example, an overhydrated patient with heart failure from a bodybuilder.

While the amount of body water is identically high (a bodybuilder's body water is elevated because muscle contains 75% of intracellular water), the bodybuilder has a high phase angle and the patient with heart failure has a low phase angle, given the overhydration in the extracellular area.

The Body Composition Chart has two axes. The Fat Mass (FM) is on the Y-axis and Fat-Free Mass (FFM) is on the X-axis. Each value is presented as an index, which means - as in the BMI - that the values are normalized by height. This allows a comparison to be made between a man who is 5 ft and a man that is 6.5 ft. Add the FMI and FFMI values together to yield the BMI.

The Body Composition Chart is a two-dimensional (or over time a three-dimensional) BMI that shows what contributes to weight loss - fat mass or muscle mass.

The center of the graphic is the statistical average for the specific patient. In this case, the fat mass is slightly below average for a man because the measurement point moves downwards from the midpoint. The Fat-Free Mass is above-average since the measurement point moves to the right of the midpoint.

Physically active obese people have both an increased FM and an increased FFM. This type of body composition is reflected in the points in the two upper right quadrants. A low FM with a simultaneous high FFM indicates an athletic body composition and a low FM with low FFM indicates a lean composition. An undesirable body composition is one with an elevated Fat Mass - obesity - along with a reduced Fat-Free Mass - muscle deterioration, referred to as sarcopenic obesity.

The seca mBCA can print measurements immediately after the patient has been analyzed. A series of measurements and user-defined analyses can be processed and printed by the PC software seca analytics 115 after the measurement data is transmitted.

All results from the examinations are saved in the PC software seca analytics 115, which is included with the purchase. The software also offers a patient database and other analytical functions. Data transmission to the PC can be made via Ethernet, wirelessly or USB. The hardware required for these alternatives is also included with the mBCA.