In Vivo Precision of the GE Lunar IDXA Densitometer for the Measurement of Total Body Composition and Fat Distribution in Adults

In vivo precision for body composition measurements using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA; GE Lunar iDXA, GE Healthcare, Bucks, UK) was evaluated in 52 men and women, aged 34.8 (s.d. 8.4; range 20.1-50.5) years, body mass index (25.8 kg/m(2); range 16.7-42.7 kg/m(2)). Two consecutive total body scans (with re-positioning) were conducted. Precision was excellent for all measurements, particularly for total body bone mineral content and lean tissue mass (root mean square 0.015 and 0.244 kg; coefficients of variation (CV) 0.6 and 0.5%, respectively). Precision error was CV 0.82% for total fat mass and 0.86% for percentage fat. Precision was better for gynoid (root mean square 0.397 kg; CV 0.96%) than for android fat distribution (root mean square 0.780 kg, CV 2.32%). There was good agreement between consecutive measurements for all measurements (slope (s.e.) 0.993-1.002; all R(2) = 0.99). The Lunar iDXA provided excellent precision for total body composition measurements. Research into the effect of body size on the precision of DXA body fat distribution measurements is required.