Association Between Phase Angle and Tongue Pressure in Older Inpatients with Connective Tissue Diseases

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Rheumatology
• Nutritional Science

Background:

• Connective tissue diseases (CTDs) can impact muscle function and nutritional status in older adults.
• Tongue pressure (TP) is a key indicator of oropharyngeal muscle strength, crucial for swallowing and overall health.
• Phase angle (PhA), derived from bioimpedance analysis, reflects cellular integrity and nutritional status.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the association between tongue pressure (TP) and phase angle (PhA) in elderly patients diagnosed with connective tissue diseases (CTDs).
• To identify potential phase angle (PhA) cutoff values that may predict low tongue pressure (TP) in this specific patient population.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective cross-sectional study involving 189 inpatients with CTDs aged 65 years and older.
• Tongue pressure (TP) was measured using a specialized device; phase angle (PhA) was calculated via bioimpedance analysis.
• Multivariate linear regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were employed to determine associations and predictive cutoff values.

Main Results:

• A significant association was found between higher phase angle (PhA) and greater tongue pressure (TP) (β = 0.387, p < 0.001) after adjusting for confounders.
• Patients with low TP exhibited significantly lower mean PhA values (3.5°) compared to those with normal TP (4.3°).
• Identified PhA cutoff values for predicting low TP were 3.9° for men and 3.5° for women.

Conclusions:

• Phase angle (PhA) is independently associated with tongue pressure (TP) in older inpatients with CTDs.
• The identified PhA cutoff values may serve as a non-invasive tool for the early screening of declining tongue pressure (TP).
• This finding highlights the potential utility of PhA in monitoring muscle function and nutritional status in elderly CTD patients.