Body Composition Alterations in Patients with Chronic Stroke: A Cross-Sectional Study.

LBM and BMC of both upper and lower extremities were significantly lower on the paretic side compared to the non-paretic side in chronic stroke patients.

• Study included 84 patients (58 men, 26 women; mean age 58.3 ± 9.5 years) with chronic stroke.
• Body composition was assessed using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) to measure fat mass, LBM, and BMC of paretic and non-paretic limbs.
• The greatest percentage differences were found in upper limb BMC (-16.8%), lower limb LBM (-7.9%), and lower limb BMC (-7.3%).
• Differences in LBM and BMC were statistically significant for both upper and lower extremities.

Fat mass in the paretic lower limb was significantly higher than in the non-paretic lower limb.

• This asymmetry in fat mass was observed specifically in the lower extremity.
• Body composition was assessed using DXA in 84 chronic stroke patients.
• The finding suggests differential fat deposition between paretic and non-paretic lower limbs following stroke.

The greatest body composition asymmetry between paretic and non-paretic sides was observed in upper limb BMC, followed by lower limb LBM and lower limb BMC.

• Upper limb BMC showed the largest percentage difference at -16.8% on the paretic side.
• Lower limb LBM showed a percentage difference of -7.9% on the paretic side.
• Lower limb BMC showed a percentage difference of -7.3% on the paretic side.
• These findings indicate that upper limb bone mineral content is disproportionately affected by stroke-related paresis.

Predictors of paretic lean body mass included age, body mass, motor strength (Motricity Index), and body fat percentage.

• These predictors were identified for paretic LBM in both upper and lower extremities.
• Motor strength was quantified using the Motricity Index.
• The cross-sectional design limits causal inference about these predictive relationships.
• Multiple regression analyses were used to identify predictive factors for paretic LBM.

Predictors of paretic bone mineral content differed by limb segment, with sex and height as significant predictors in both limbs, paretic arm LBM predicting arm BMC, and body mass and age predicting paretic leg BMC.

• Sex and height were significant predictors of paretic BMC in both upper and lower limbs.
• Paretic arm LBM was a significant predictor of paretic arm BMC, suggesting a lean mass-bone relationship in the upper extremity.
• Body mass and age were identified as significant predictors of paretic leg BMC.
• These findings highlight segment-specific determinants of bone mineral content loss following stroke.

The study population was a cross-sectional sample of 84 chronic stroke patients with a mean age of 58.3 years, predominantly male.

• The sample consisted of 58 men and 26 women.
• Mean age was 58.3 ± 9.5 years.
• The study used a cross-sectional design, which precludes causal conclusions.
• DXA was the imaging modality used for all body composition assessments.