Introduction: Oral frailty (OF) is a condition in which oral functions are impaired. We investigated the prevalence of OF in older Japanese type 2 diabetes (T2D) and the relationship with sarcopenia.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted between February and November 2023 and comprised T2D aged ≥65 years who were admitted to our hospital. At admission, we evaluated glycemic control (HbA1c), sarcopenia (skeletal muscle mass index [SMI], grip strength), and OF prevalence. Oral functions were evaluated using the checklist of the Japanese Association for Dental Science; those with three or more of seven items were diagnosed as OF.

Results: Thirty-five individuals were examined: age 75.2±5.4 years, 24 male/11 female, SMI 7.0±1.5 kg/m2, grip strength 22.1±7.6 kg, HbA1c 8.5±2.5%. Of them, 17 (48.6%) were diagnosed with sarcopenia and 30 (85.7%) with OF. When the criteria of sarcopenia and OF were delineated by gender, saliva volume (r=0.610, p=0.003) and masticatory function (r=0.566, p=0.007) were found to be positively associated with grip strength in men. In multi-regression analysis (explanatory variables: age, SMI, saliva volume, and masticatory function), saliva volume was showed a significant association (β=0.481, p=0.033) in men.

Conclusion: There is a close relationship between OF and sarcopenia in older Japanese T2D, underscoring the importance of medical-dental collaboration in diabetes care.

graphic
View largeDownload slide
Disclosure

Y. Takahashi: None. S. Kubota: None. M. Sakai: None. T. Kato: None. K. Takao: None. M. Mizuno: None. T. Hirota: None. Y. Horikawa: None. D. Yabe: Advisory Panel; Novo Nordisk. Speaker's Bureau; Novo Nordisk. Research Support; Novo Nordisk. Advisory Panel; Boehringer-Ingelheim. Speaker's Bureau; Boehringer-Ingelheim. Research Support; Boehringer-Ingelheim. Advisory Panel; Eli Lilly and Company. Speaker's Bureau; Eli Lilly and Company. Research Support; Eli Lilly and Company. Advisory Panel; Sanofi. Speaker's Bureau; Sanofi, Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co., Ltd., Kyowa Kirin Co., Ltd. Research Support; Terumo Corporation, Taiho Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.

© 2024 by the American Diabetes Association
2024
Readers may use this article as long as the work is properly cited, the use is educational and not for profit, and the work is not altered. More information is available at http://www.diabetesjournals.org/content/license.