Effects of aging and sarcopenia on tongue pressure and jaw-opening force

AimAging and sarcopenia reduce not only body strength, but also the strength of swallowing muscles. We examined how aging and sarcopenia affect tongue pressure and jaw-opening force. MethodsA total of 97 older adults (97 men, mean age 78.56.6 years; 100 women, mean age 77.86.2 years) were enrolled. Classification of sarcopenia was based on the Criteria of Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia. To investigate which variable between aging and sarcopenia was a significant independent variable on tongue pressure and jaw-opening force, multivariate linear regression analysis was carried out. ResultsThe mean tongue pressure was 26.3 +/- 7.8kPa in men and 24.6 +/- 7.2kPa in women. The mean jaw-opening force was 6.3 +/- 1.6kg in men and 5.2 +/- 1.3kg in women. Tongue pressure in men, aging and sarcopenia were significant independent variables, whereas only sarcopenia was a significant independent variable in women. Jaw-opening force in men and sarcopenia were significant independent variables, whereas neither aging nor sarcopenia were significant independent variables in women. ConclusionsWe found different characteristics in the effects of aging and sarcopenia based on site and sex. We suggested that aging decreased tongue pressure more than jaw-opening force, and affected men more than women. Sarcopenia affected tongue pressure and jaw-opening force, with the exception of jaw-opening force in women. Considering these characteristics is useful to predict the decline of swallowing function, and provide appropriate interventions preventing dysphagia. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2017; 17: 295-301.