In the spirit of September being “Healthy Aging Month,” we would like to highlight the importance of body composition changes that can occur with aging. In this month’s newsletter, Clinical Research Associate Joe Bonner will briefly review some of these physiological adaptations and research on healthy strategies to promote aging well. Using a reliable body composition analyzer is key to tracking these changes.
Current Trends in Older Adulthood
According to the World Health Organization, “By 2030, 1 in 6 people in the world will be aged 60 years or over. At this time, the share of the population aged 60 years and over will increase from 1 billion in 2020 to 1.4 billion. By 2050, the world’s population of people aged 60 years and older will double (2.1 billion).” Given that it’s expected that the number of older adults will significantly increase in the future, there is also an urgent need to address some of the factors that may impact healthy aging and chronic disease risk.
Source: Ridley (2005); Zijdeman et al. (2015); HMD (2024); UN WPP (2024)
The global life expectancy has significantly increased in the last several decades due to advances in medical care, public health, and living standards. However, a greater life expectancy may also increase the risk of chronic disease and health decline. A 2019 research review on worldwide disease prevalence in older adults by Mattiuzzi and Lippi found that between 2000-2018 “Ischemic heart disease, stroke and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are the leading causes of disability and death in older people.”
Aging, Body Composition, and Fall Risk
Aging is associated with body composition changes, such as decreases in skeletal muscle mass and increases in fat, especially in visceral and abdominal fat accumulation. Chua et al (2021) found that “In oldest-old adults, visceral fat area was the best discriminator for obesity associated with mobility disability.” Declines in skeletal muscle mass and muscular function may be associated with increased fall risk. Accurately monitoring these vital changes requires an advanced body composition analyzer. Chao et al (2025) conducted a longitudinal study on muscular function and fall risk in older adults, noting “Promoting muscle function should be prioritized as a preventive strategy to mitigate adverse clinical outcomes.” Suzuki et al (2025) tracked fall risk and the usage of diabetes medications in older adults across a median of 2 years, with the authors stating, “The increased risk of falls due to the intake of SGLT2 (sodium glucose cotransporter 2) inhibitors was ascribed to the concomitant decrease in skeletal muscle mass, increase in urinary frequency, and decrease in blood volume.”
Successful Strategies for Healthy Aging
Diet, physical activity, and other lifestyle factors can have a significant impact on healthy aging. A 24-week resistance training program in older women with obesity by Kim et al (2022) observed that the not engaging in resistance training “negatively affected body composition, bone mineral density, functional fitness, and isokinetic muscle strength.” Martins et al (2024) organized a 16-week high-speed resistance training program where older adults in the intervention group had “significant improvements in phase angle,” and the authors concluded that resistance training “could effectively prevent the decline in cellular health and cell integrity in older adults.” Phase angle (PhA) is an estimate of cellular health that has been associated with fat free mass (please refer to our previous blog post on PhA). This measurement can be reliably tracked using an advanced body composition analyzer, like the InBody S10.
Regarding nutrition, consuming adequate protein intake is very important to preserve muscular health in older adults. Kao et al (2025) demonstrated that supplementing with plant-based protein could “enhance physical performance and functional assessments (such as sarcopenia risk scale and nutritional status) among older adults at risk of malnutrition and sarcopenia.” Older women also may face unique changes in their health status based on the transition through menopause. Kamari et al (2023) assessed 1012 post-menopausal women for the quality of their diet and body composition analysis, finding that “A diet of high quality followed by a high healthy eating index-2015 score was shown to be strongly connected to increased bone mineral density and muscle mass.”
In our previous post on “The Importance of Assessing Fall Risk in Vulnerable Populations“, we introduced the Fall Risk Assessment (FRA) as a new technology to monitor balance, lower body muscular functionality, and fall risk, which older adults may be especially prone to. Please refer to this post for more information on the utility of the FRA. We also highlight how body composition and fluid parameters have been associated with fall-risk. Zhang et al (2023) conducted a cross-sectional study on body composition and fall-risk, with “lower limb edema, decreased skeletal muscle mass, and sarcopenia were associated with falls in older individuals.” Sterner et al (2024) assessed bio-electrical impedance measures (PhA and impedance ratios) in relation to physical performance and fear of falling in older adult women and concluded that “PhA and IR measured through BIA together may serve as a valuable tool for early identification of older women at the risk of functional decline and a heightened fear of falling.”
Assessing Fall Risk and Muscle Functionality
As we reflect on Healthy Aging Month, we’re appreciative of the many researchers and clinicians who are incorporating healthy lifestyle recommendations into their research and care. We hope that monitoring body composition analysis and fluid status will continue to be implemented in healthy practices to promote healthy aging and quality of life. For more on healthy aging, fall risk, and other applications, subscribe to our newsletter and connect with our medical & research team today.
References
- World Health Organization. (2024.). Ageing and health. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/ageing-and-health
- Dattani, S., Ritchie, H., Ortiz-Ospina, E., & Roser, M. (2023, November 28). Life expectancy. Our World in Data. https://ourworldindata.org/life-expectancy
- Mattiuzzi, C., Lippi, G. Worldwide disease epidemiology in the older persons. Eur Geriatr Med 11, 147–153 (2020). https://doi-org.access.library.miami.edu/10.1007/s41999-019-00265-2
- Kim, S., & Won, C. W. (2022). Sex-different changes of body composition in aging: a systemic review. Archives of gerontology and geriatrics, 102, 104711.
- Chua, K. Y., Lin, X., Wang, Y., Chong, Y. S., Lim, W. S., & Koh, W. P. (2021). Visceral fat area is the measure of obesity best associated with mobility disability in community dwelling oldest-old Chinese adults. BMC geriatrics, 21(1), 282.
- Chao, Y. P., Fang, W. H., Peng, T. C., Wu, L. W., Yang, H. F., & Kao, T. W. (2025). Longitudinal Cohort Study Investigating Fall Risk Across Diverse Muscle Health Statuses Among Older People in the Community. Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle, 16(2), e13788.
- Suzuki, Y., Suzuki, H., Maruo, K., Matsuda, T., Murayama, Y., Sugano, Y., … & Shimano, H. (2025). Longitudinal association of SGLT2 inhibitors and GLP-1RAs on falls in persons with type 2 diabetes. Scientific Reports, 15(1), 9178.. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-91101-0
- Black, M., & Bowman, M. (2020). Nutrition and healthy aging. Clinics in Geriatric Medicine, 36(4), 655-669.
- Izquierdo, M., Merchant, R. A., Morley, J. E., Anker, S. D., Aprahamian, I., Arai, H., … & Singh, M. F. (2021). International exercise recommendations in older adults (ICFSR): expert consensus guidelines. The journal of nutrition, health & aging, 25(7), 824-853.
- Kim, S. W., Park, H. Y., Jung, W. S., & Lim, K. (2022). Effects of twenty-four weeks of resistance exercise training on body composition, bone mineral density, functional fitness and isokinetic muscle strength in obese older women: a randomized controlled trial. International journal of environmental research and public health, 19(21), 14554.
- Martins, A. D., Brito, J. P., Fernandes, O., Oliveira, R., Gonçalves, B., & Batalha, N. (2024). Effects of a 16-week High-Speed Resistance Training program on body composition in community-dwelling independent older adults: A clinical trial. Clinical Nutrition ESPEN, 63, 84-91.
- Kao, S. L., Wang, J. H., Lai, H. Y., Hsiao, F. Y., Chen, L. K., & Loh, C. H. (2025). Daily Supplementation with Protein-Enriched Lacto-Vegetarian Soups and Muscle Health in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial. The Journal of nutrition, health and aging, 29(3), 100477.
- Kamari, N., Fateh, H. L., Pasdar, Y., Rezaeian, S., Shakiba, E., & Najafi, F. (2023). Bone mineral density and muscle mass associated with healthy eating index in postmenopausal women; results from RaNCD cohort study. BMC Women’s Health, 23(1), 615.
- Zhang, K., Ju, Y., Yang, D., Cao, M., Liang, H., & Leng, J. (2023). Correlation analysis between body composition, serological indices and the risk of falls, and the receiver operating characteristic curve of different indexes for the risk of falls in older individuals. Frontiers in medicine, 10, 1228821.
- Sterner, D. A., Stout, J. R., Lafontant, K., Park, J. H., Fukuda, D. H., & Thiamwong, L. (2024). Phase angle and impedance ratio as indicators of physical function and fear of falling in older adult women: cross-sectional analysis. JMIR aging, 7(1), e53975.
