The Effect of Adverse Body Measures on the Occurrence of Aging-Associated Diseases and Medical Consumptions- Three Dimensional Surface Scanning System

The prevalence of aging-associated diseases is increasing worldwide. The prevalence was positively increased with the economic developments and the elderly population. Most of the aging-associated diseases were associated with life-style factors while the derived adverse body measures were phenotype and leading indicators of the diseases occurrence. Human body measures can simultaneously reveal one’s risk to diseases and provide clues for interventions. This study aims to develop a predictive model including 3D body measures and the occurrence of aging-associated diseases and the subsequent impacts on medical consumptions of health insurance. The participants seeking health check-up were collected in a medical center in north Taiwan during 2000-2008. A total of 11,158 participants who had completed 3D body surface scanning and questionnaire were included in this study. The study variables included basic demographics, life-style variables, personal and family history of diseases, and 38 body measures. The body measures were classified according to anatomic dimensions including head, trunk, and limbs. Up to the end of 2016, a 14-year follow-up was made by linking with national health insurance claim database. The participants with the aging-associated diseases will be excluded from the follow-up analysis. The study used univariate statistics, multivariable Cox regression model, and general linear model to identify significant body measures, and the occurrence of aging-associated diseases and the subsequent medical consumptions. The objectives of this study include 1) to explore the association between specific body measures and aging-associated diseases; 2) to analyze the association between specific body measures and aging score; 3) to analyze the association between specific body measures and annual average of hospitalization length of stay; 4) to analyze the association between specific body measures and annual average of total medical expenses; 5) to analyze the association between specific body measures and survival. This study develops innovative predictive model entailing the preventive strategies and mechanisms of specific body measures and aging-associated diseases occurrence. A number of specific body measures and related biomarkers can predict the occurrence and prognosis of aging-associated diseases in a long-term basis, which can be adopted as targets for future health promotions. The mechanisms derived from the analysis between body measures and the occurrence of diseases provide clues for future health promotion and preventive medicine enabling us to prolong life expectancy and to reduce health care and social cost.

Project ID:PF10901-1156
External Project ID:MOST108-2410-H182-008-MY2