Masticatory coefficient and physical functioning in older frail patients admitted for a Comprehensive Gerontological Assessment

• Published in: Archives of gerontology and geriatrics 2021-07, Vol.95
• Main Authors: Harel, Johann, Fossaert, Romain, Bérard, Alain, Lafargue, Aurélie, Danet-Lamasou, Marie, Poisson, Philippe, Dupuis, Véronique, Bourdel-Marchasson, Isabelle
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Life Sciences; Santé publique et épidémiologie
• ISSN: 0167-4943; 1872-6976
• DOI: 10.1016/j.archger.2021.104421

BACKGROUND: Physical functioning may be limited in older, frail patients with missing teeth without prosthetic correction. This cross-sectional study examined the relationship between physical performance and the geriatric masticatory coefficient (GMC) in patients who underwent both a comprehensive gerontological assessment (CGA) to improve poly-pathology management and an intra-oral exam. METHODS: All patients were evaluated based on the following: (corrected) GMC, number of posterior occluding pairs (POPs), short physical performance battery (SPPB) or timed up and go (TUG) test, and mini-nutritional assessment (MNA). RESULTS: Of the 256 patients (mean age 83.76[SD 6.16], 148F), 75 (29.30%) were malnourished. The corrected GMC was lower in malnourished patients. When adjusted for age, gender, and MNA, the corrected GMC correlated with the TUG time (r=-0.198, p=0.005) and SPPB score (r=0.282, p=0.009). Correlations between GMC and POPs were determined for the SPPB (r=0.269, p=0.013; r=0.319, p=0.004, respectively) but not for the TUG (r=-0.108, p=0.128; r=-0.136, p=0.072). CONCLUSION: The correlation between physical performance and decreased masticatory capacity was not fully explained by malnutrition in mildly to severely frail and multi-morbid patients; posture may also be impaired by missing teeth. The study of dental care effects on physical performance will provide further insights.