Sarcopenic Dysphagia Revisited: A Cross-Sectional Study in Hospitalized Geriatric Patients
Abstract
Oropharyngeal dysphagia (OD) is a frequent finding in older patients with potentially lethal complications such as aspiration pneumonia, malnutrition, and dehydration. Recent studies describe sarcopenia as a causative factor for OD, which is occasionally referred to as “sarcopenic dysphagia” in the absence of a neurogenic etiology. In most of the previous studies on sarcopenic dysphagia, the diagnosis was based only on clinical assessment. In this study, flexible endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES) was used as an objective method to evaluate the presence of OD, its association with sarcopenia, and the presence of pure sarcopenic dysphagia. In this retrospective cross-sectional study, 109 acute care geriatric hospital patients with suspected OD received FEES examination and bioimpedance analysis (BIA) in clinical routine. 95% of patients had at least one neurological disease, 70% fulfilled the criteria for sarcopenia, and 45% displayed moderate or severe OD. Although the prevalence of sarcopenia and OD was high, there was no significant association between OD and sarcopenia. Considering these results, both the association between sarcopenia and OD and pure sarcopenic dysphagia appear questionable. Further prospective studies are needed to elucidate if sarcopenia is merely an epiphenomenon of severe disease or whether it plays a causative role in the development of OD.
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a cross-sectional, done in people. Its evidence level is 4 of 5 (Low · observational). Observational designs can show an association but not prove cause.
Read the paper
Related studies
- Severe clinical outcomes of COVID-19 associated with proton pump inhibitors: a nationwide cohort study with propensity score matching
- Levofloxacin-Induced Tendon Rupture: A Case Report and Review of the Literature
- Association between cord blood 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations and respiratory tract infections in the first 6 months of age in a Korean population: a birth cohort study (COCOA)
- Neuroprotective Effects of Epicatechin against Oxidative Stress-Induced Cognitive Impairment: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
- Quality evaluation and in vitro interaction studies between levofloxacin 250mg and diclofenac sodium 50mg tablets
- Molecular Epidemiology of mcr-1 -Positive Polymyxin B-Resistant Escherichia coli Producing Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamase (ESBL) in a Tertiary Hospital in Shandong, China
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.