PhA showed sex-specific associations with albuminuria, with an inverse association in women and a J-shaped association in men, suggesting PhA could potentially serve as a supplementary tool for identifying individuals at risk for early renal microvascular injury.
Albuminuria prevalence was 7.0% overall in the study population, with 7.2% in men and 6.9% in women.
In women, each 1° increase in phase angle was associated with substantially lower odds of albuminuria.
In men, the association between phase angle and albuminuria followed a J-shaped pattern, with the lowest risk at mid-range PhA values and a marked increase at higher values.
The study employed survey-weighted, sex-stratified multivariate logistic regression to assess the association between phase angle and albuminuria.
Phase angle, derived from bioelectrical impedance analysis, reflects cellular health and membrane integrity and is reduced in chronic diseases.
This research suggests that a measurement called phase angle (PhA) — obtained through a quick, painless body composition test called bioelectrical impedance analysis — is linked to early signs of kidney damage in Korean adults aged 40 and older. The early kidney damage marker examined was albuminuria, which means having too much of a protein called albumin leaking into the urine. About 7% of the 3,283 study participants had albuminuria. The key finding was that this relationship between phase angle and albuminuria differed between men and women: in women, having a higher phase angle was associated with lower odds of albuminuria, while in men, the relationship was more complex, resembling a 'J-shape' where both very low and very high phase angle values were associated with greater risk. Phase angle is thought to reflect how healthy cells are — particularly how intact cell membranes are — and tends to be lower in people with chronic illnesses. This study found that in women, a healthier cellular profile (higher phase angle) corresponded to less kidney protein leakage, even after accounting for many other risk factors like age, blood pressure, cholesterol, kidney function markers, and body composition. In men, the pattern was more nuanced, suggesting that the biology connecting cellular health to kidney microvascular damage may differ by sex. This research suggests that phase angle, already used in clinical and research settings to assess nutritional and cellular health, could potentially offer additional information about who might be at risk for early kidney and cardiovascular problems. Because bioelectrical impedance devices are widely available and the test is quick and non-invasive, this approach could complement existing screening tools. However, because the study is cross-sectional (a snapshot in time), it cannot prove that low phase angle causes kidney damage — future studies tracking people over time would be needed to clarify this relationship.
Dong Su Park, Yohwan Yeo, Jin-Cho Jung, Eunbyul Cho, Dagyeong Lee, Yoon Soo Jeong. (2026). Association between phase angle and albuminuria in Korean adults aged 40 years or older: a cross-sectional study of the 9th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2022-2023).. Korean Journal of Family Medicine. https://doi.org/10.4082/kjfm.25.0305