Poor Appetite Negatively Affects Recovery of Swallowing Function During Post-Acute Rehabilitation

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Clinical Nutrition
• Rehabilitation Medicine

Background:

• Impaired swallowing function (dysphagia) is common in older adults, affecting nutrition and quality of life.
• Appetite is vital for nutrition and recovery, but its impact on swallowing recovery is not well understood.
• This study investigates the link between appetite and swallowing recovery in elderly patients undergoing rehabilitation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the relationship between poor appetite and swallowing function recovery in older adults post-acute rehabilitation.
• To identify if appetite influences the effectiveness of rehabilitation for swallowing disorders.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cohort study of 309 older adults (≥65 years) with diagnosed dysphagia.
• Appetite assessed at admission using the Simplified Nutritional Appetite Questionnaire for Japanese Elderly (SNAQ-JE).
• Swallowing function evaluated at discharge using the Food Intake Level Scale (FILS), with multivariable adjustments.

Main Results:

• 41.4% of participants had poor appetite.
• Poor appetite was significantly linked to lower swallowing function scores (FILS) at discharge (p=0.002).
• Adjusted analyses confirmed poor appetite negatively associated with FILS scores (p=0.038) and impaired swallowing recovery (OR=2.11, p=0.016).

Conclusions:

• Poor appetite is a significant barrier to swallowing function recovery in older adults undergoing rehabilitation.
• Early assessment of appetite is recommended to identify and address factors impeding swallowing recovery.
• Findings highlight the importance of nutritional and appetite support in geriatric dysphagia rehabilitation.