Initial Phase Angle Is Independently Associated With Functional Independence at 6 Months After Stroke

OBJECTIVES: To examine the associations of initial sarcopenia and phase angle (PhA) with functional independence at 6 months after stroke onset. METHODS: This observational study included 129 patients (median age, 74 years; 32.6% female) who experienced acute stroke and were admitted to the stroke unit of a tertiary care hospital between June 2022 and May 2023. The Barthel Index (BI) was assessed 6 months after stroke onset. Sarcopenia and PhA were evaluated during the acute phase. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to estimate the association between failure to achieve full independence (BI < 100) at 6 months and sarcopenia or PhA. RESULTS: The incidence of failure to achieve full independence at 6 months was 27.1%, with a sarcopenia prevalence of 34.1%. The mean (standard deviation) PhA was 5.7 (1.0°) in males and 5.1 (0.9°) in females. After adjusting for age, sex, and NIHSS score, PhA was significantly associated with failure to achieve full independence at 6 months (odds ratio, 0.43; 95% confidence interval, 0.22-0.83; p = 0.012). In contrast, although sarcopenia showed a tendency toward association with the outcome, the association did not reach statistical significance (odds ratio, 2.66; 95% confidence interval, 0.95-7.46; p = 0.063). CONCLUSIONS: Initial PhA was independently associated with failure to achieve full independence at 6 months after stroke.