Body composition assessment: an indispensable tool for disease management

Recent conceptual and technology advancements fostered a rapid development in the field of body composition assessment and provided new and powerful investigative tools. Densitometry, isotopic dilution, bioelectrical impedance, whole-body counting, neutron activation, X-ray absorptiometry, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and spectroscopy have been the most widely employed methods. The result of this effort is the discovery that body composition at both molecular and cellular or tissue levels is affected by virtually all the pathologic conditions found in medical textbooks. The field is now mature for the clinical translation of this research. Some applications rely on a very solid base and their clinical use has been fully codified. Others still need reference values diversified on a regional and ethnic scale, consensus for interpretation of values, and guidelines for clinical indications. Only after these requirements are satisfied will it be possible to adopt specific practical guidelines, the most reasonable basis for acceptance and accreditation by care providers. Some applications are already being used in several settings. Therefore, establishing the guidelines for clinical application of body composition assessment methods is not only important for physicians and their patients, but is also urgent so as to prevent misuse and to ensure correct communication with the media in this field.