Association between oral frailty and nutritional status among hemodialysis patients aged ≥50 years

Malnutrition is a prevalent health issue among hemodialysis patients. Oral frailty, a condition characterized by impairments in multiple oral health aspects and functions, has been associated with nutritional status in the general population. We aimed to determine whether oral frailty was associated with nutritional status in hemodialysis patients aged ≥50 years. Our secondary aim was to determine the prevalence of oral frailty in this population.

This cross-sectional study included hemodialysis patients who were admitted to a single medical center. According to the Oral Frailty 5-item Checklist, oral frailty is characterized by the presence of two or more of the following criteria: (i) fewer teeth, (ii) difficulty in chewing, (iii) difficulty in swallowing, (iv) dry mouth, and (v) low articulatory oral motor skills. Patients' nutritional status was assessed using the Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI). Multivariable ordinal logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the association between oral frailty and nutritional status (classified into three categories according to the GNRI: >98, 92-98, and <92).

In total, 152 hemodialysis patients (55 women and 97 men) with a mean age of 70.4 years were included. The prevalence of oral frailty was 61.2%. After adjusting for health characteristics and sociodemographic background, oral frailty was associated with poor nutritional status according to the GNRI (odds ratio = 2.04, 95% confidence interval = 1.02-4.09).

In this study, approximately 60% of hemodialysis patients aged ≥50 years exhibited oral frailty, and hemodialysis patients with oral frailty had poor nutritional status according to the GNRI. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2024; 24: 891-897.