Association between sarcopenia and constipation in patients with dysphagia: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Purpose We investigated the relationship between sarcopenia and constipation at multiple facilities in Japan. Method This cross-sectional study used data from the Japanese Sarcopenic Dysphagia Database. The 19 hospitals included nine acute care hospitals, eight rehabilitation hospitals, two long-term care hospitals, and one home-visiting rehabilitation center. The participants were 460 patients aged 20 years with swallowing disorders. Sarcopenia was diagnosed by the 2019 Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia criteria. Constipation was diagnosed based on the definition of the Japanese Chronic Constipation Treatment Guidelines. We investigated whether there was a significant difference in the prevalence of constipation between patients with and without sarcopenia. Logistic regression analysis was performed to examine the association between sarcopenia and constipation after adjusting for age, sex, facility, CCI, and enteral nutrition. Results The participants were composed of 229 males (50%) and 231 females (50%), with a mean age of 81 ± 10 years. Of the 460 patients, 404 (88%) had sarcopenia, and 72 (16%) had constipation. The logistic regression analysis revealed no significant association between sarcopenia and constipation (odds ratio: 1.279, 95% confidence interval: 0.492, 3.324). Factors associated with constipation were facility-specific (odds ratio: 3.695, 95% confidence interval: 1.955, 6.983). The prevalence of constipation in rehabilitation hospitals and long-term care hospitals was 20% and 26%, respectively. Conclusions The prevalence of constipation in patients with sarcopenia was 16%. There was no statistically significant association between sarcopenia and constipation.