Abstract
The study aimed to investigate the impact of sarcopenia and sarcopenia-related conditions on the development of swallowing disorders during hospitalization. Older adult inpatients (n = 8768) without swallowing disorders in the premorbid period were studied. Sarcopenia-related conditions were evaluated in terms of nutritional status, physical status, and ambulatory conditions as well as hand-grip strength and muscle mass assessed by calf circumference. Development of swallowing disorders was defined based on food texture at discharge from the hospital. The patients’ mean age was 76.1 ± 6.9 years. A total of 374 (4.3%) patients developed swallowing disorders during hospitalization. They were older, with poorer nutritional status, and had more decline of physical performance than those without swallowing disorders. Performance Status score (odds ratio (OR) = 1.28 (1.12–1.46) p < 0.001), ambulatory dependency (OR = 1.72 (1.09–2.71), p = 0.020), malnutrition score (OR = 0.92 (0.87–0.97), p = 0.002), insufficient nutritional intake (OR = 2.33 (1.60–3.40), p < 0.001), and length of stay (OR = 1.01 (1.00–1.01), p = 0.001) were independent contributing factors for swallowing disorder development in the multivariate analysis. The presence of possible sarcopenia was also a contributor to swallowing disorder development. In conclusion, swallowing disorders could develop in patients with possible sarcopenia and sarcopenia-related conditions during hospitalization. Clinicians should be aware of this risk and provide appropriate interventions to prevent sarcopenic dysphagia.
Highlights
Sarcopenia, a condition referring to the decline of both skeletal muscle mass and strength [1], impacts the health and quality of life of older adults
The results indicated that hospital-associated dysphagia, referring to a swallowing disorder acquired during hospitalization [13], mostly seemed to be sarcopenic dysphagia
A previous study investigating older inpatients with were prohibited oral ingestion at admission to the hospital reported that only patients with sarcopenia developed swallowing disorders within two months, and lower muscle mass and poorer physical function were the predictors of sarcopenic dysphagia [12]
Summary
Sarcopenia, a condition referring to the decline of both skeletal muscle mass and strength [1], impacts the health and quality of life of older adults. The association between sarcopenia and swallowing disorders has gained the attention of experts in the field of geriatric. Four academic organizations in Japan specializing in geriatric nutrition and dysphagia rehabilitation published a consensus article focusing on the relationship between swallowing disorders and surrounding etiologies, the current definition and diagnosis of sarcopenic dysphagia, preventive and therapeutic strategies, and issues to be tackled regarding sarcopenic dysphagia [3]. Society for Swallowing Disorders is concerned about sarcopenia and its influence on swallowing ability, especially in managing geriatric syndrome and nutrition in older adults [4]. Previous studies found that muscle mass measured by anthropometry was positively correlated to muscle mass [6] and strength [7] of the tongue, and the chewing muscles’
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