Impaired oral status is associated with sarcopenic obesity in post-stroke patients

Oral problems and muscle health are indeed significant concerns in ageing populations. However, there is limited evidence concerning the association between these issues. The study's focus was to investigate the association between oral problems and sarcopenic obesity, wherein sarcopenia and obesity coexist concurrently, in post-stroke patients.

This retrospective, observational, cross-sectional study included patients hospitalised for post-stroke rehabilitation. Oral problems were assessed using the Revised Oral Assessment Guide (ROAG). Sarcopenic obesity was diagnosed according to the European Society of Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism/European Association for the Study of Obesity criteria. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to examine the association between the ROAG and sarcopenic obesity after adjusting for confounding factors.

A total of 760 patients were included, with a mean (SD) age of 71 (9) years, of whom 408 (54.7%) were male. The median (interquartile range, 25th and 75th percentiles) ROAG was 11 [9, 13]. Sarcopenic obesity was diagnosed in 16 (3.9%) men, 18 (5.1%) women, and 34 (4.5%) patients overall. Multivariate linear analysis showed that ROAG was significantly and positively associated with sarcopenic obesity (β = .091, P = .023), followed by obesity alone (β = .084, P = .044), and sarcopenia alone (β = .081, P = .037).

Oral problems were associated with sarcopenic obesity in post-stroke. Oral assessment and intervention may have a positive impact on ADL and QOL in post-stroke patients with sarcopenic obesity.