Basal Metabolic Rate and Body Composition in Patients with Post-Polio Syndrome

Abstract

The aim of this study was to compare basal metabolic rate (BMR) of post-polio syndrome (PPS) patients with healthy individuals and to determine its correlation to body composition. BMR (kcal/day) was determined by indirect calorimetry and body composition by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. BMR was lower in the PPS patient group than in the control group, although it was similar in both groups when adjusted for body surface area, total body mass (TBM), lean body mass (LBM) and fat-free mass (FFM). PPS patients also showed reduced TBM, LBM and FFM in relation to controls. As muscle energy expenditure while at rest contributes only 20% to the BMR, a proportional reduction in BMR and FFM or LBM could suggest that muscle mass or other factors may interfere more than predicted. It was concluded that the prediction of BMR from the Harris-Benedict equation in PPS patients must be carefully reviewed.

Basal and Resting Metabolic Rates of Physically Disabled Adult Subjects: A Systematic Review of Controlled Cross-Sectional Studies

“…The majority of studies (n = 5) found significant differences between the BMR and/or RMR of the 2 groups [9,26,27,28,29]. The BMR and/or RMR values were lower for the disabled subjects when expressed in absolute values; however, when adjusted for the FFM, this difference disappeared in half of the studies.…”

“…Most of them were conducted in the USA [25,26,27], and there was 1 study each from Canada [9], Brazil [28] and Italy [29]. Four of the studies analyzed subjects with spinal cord injuries only [9,27,28,29], 1 evaluated spinal cord lesions and poliomyelitis impairment [29] and 1 evaluated patients with post-polio syndrome [28]. Three [9,27,29] included both male and female subjects, and the other 3 involved only male subjects.…”

“…The difference only disappeared when it was normalized for FFM. The most recent study identified, by Bargieri et al [28], aimed to compare the BMR of patients with post-polio syndrome to healthy individuals. Sixteen male patients with post-polio syndrome were recruited in the DG along with 18 healthy male individuals who served as the CG.…”

“…Bargieri et al [28] unexpectedly found no difference in the %FM between the DG and CG. However, the height, BM and body surface area of the subjects were significantly different between groups and there were even differences in BMI, with the DG classified as eutrophic and the CG classified as overweight.…”

“…This study included 18 middle-aged individuals with a mean age of 47 years, which is similar to those enrolled in the study by Bargieri et al [28]. The average duration since diagnosis was 45.4 years.…”