A higher extracellular water/total-body water ratio is associated with pre-frailty in Chinese community-dwelling older men

Abstract Background The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation between the extracellular water/total-body water ratio (ECW/TBW) and physical function indicators in elderly men in the Chinese community and whether it could be used as an objective indicator of prefrailty. Methods We included a total of 588 community-dwelling elderly men aged ≥ 65 years. ECW/TBW was assessed by the BIA method; the Fried frailty phenotype (FP) was used to diagnose prefrailty, in which grip strength, gait speed and 5-repetition sit-to-stand time were assessed. We analysed the correlation of ECW/TBW with physical function indicators and the independent influencing factors of prefrailty in elderly individuals. Results Univariate analyses showed that the ECW/TBW of the prefrail group was higher than that of the nonfrail group, P < 0.001. Correlation analysis showed that a higher ECW/TBW in community-dwelling older men was associated with reduced grip strength and gait speed and prolonged 5-repetition sit-to-stand time. In addition, the ECW/TBW was significantly and independently associated with grip strength, gait speed and 5-repetition sit-to-stand time, even after adjusting for confounding factors. Logistic regression analysis revealed that a higher ECW/TBW (OR = 2.368, 95% CI 1.185–4.732, P = 0.015) and a longer 5-repetition sit-to-stand time (OR = 1.065, 95% CI 1.013–1.119, P = 0.013) were independent influencing factors in prefrail older adults. Conclusion The ECW/TBW reflects the physical functional status of elderly men in the community and may be an important indicator associated with the early development of frailty.