MEASUREMENT OF BODY-COMPOSITION - APPLICATIONS IN HORMONE RESEARCH

Measurements of body composition are fundamental to the diagnosis and management of a number of diseases. However, these measurements must b e appropriate and accurate. Accuracy can now be achieved, but at the e xpense of invasiveness (mainly radiation) and cost. Some methods for m easuring body composition, such as bioimpedance analysis, are inexpens ive, simple, harmless and infinitely repeatable. The remaining methods fall within a scale of increasing discriminating power and increasing cost/risk/difficulty. In this review, a number of methods of measurin g body composition are discussed. Both traditional and new methods are included, which vary in ease of use, invasiveness and cost. The choic e of technique depends on the needs of a particular study.