Development of body proportions in achondroplasia: Sitting height,leg length,arm span,and foot length

The aims of this study was to construct references for sitting height, leg length, arm span, relative sitting height (sitting height/height), and foot length and to discuss the development for these anthropometric variables in achondroplasia. Sex‐specific references covering ±2 SD are presented for ages 2–20 years. Legs and arms in achondroplasia are already at 2 years of age considerably shorter than in the general population and this deviation increases with age. At adult ages, legs are almost 50% shorter than in the general population and arm span roughly 35% shorter. As sitting height is only mildly affected, relative sitting height position develops far beyond normal ranges. Foot length is also not as affected as limbs.     

A systematic review of body fat distribution and mortality in older people

We conducted a systematic review investigating body fat distribution in older adults and its association with morbidity and mortality. Our search yielded 2702 citations. Following three levels of screening, 25 studies were selected to evaluate the association between body fat distribution and comorbidity, and 17 studies were used in the mortality analysis. Most of the selected studies in our analyses used anthropometric measures, e.g., body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, and waist-hip ratio; relatively few studies used direct measures, such as body fat/lean mass, and percentage body fat. Studies reported inconsistent findings regarding the strongest predictor(s) of morbidity and mortality. However, the majority of studies suggested that BMI per se was not the most appropriate predictor of morbidity and mortality in the elderly because of its inability to discern or detect age-related body fat redistribution. In addition, studies using BMI found that the optimal BMI range for the lowest mortality in the elderly was overweight (25 kg/m(2)≤BMI<30 kg/m(2)) or mildly obese (30 kg/m(2)≤BMI<35 kg/m(2)). Our findings suggest that the current clinical guidelines, recommending that overweight and obesity are major risk factors for increased morbidity and mortality are not applicable to this population. Therefore, the central message of this review is to advise the government to establish new guidelines specifically for this population, using a combination of body fat distribution measurements, and to certify that these guidelines will not be applied to inappropriate populations.