Mouth work-out to prevent malnutrition and sarcopenia

Ageing causes reduction in muscle mass and strength including the muscles responsible for chewing and swallowing movements.

Older people with chewing and swallowing problems often choose to eat a poor diet of “coffee and sweet bread” instead of vegetables, meat and other nutritious, fibrous and protein rich food. The change of dietary patterns is gradual and often unnoticed by the healthcare.

Recent research has shown an evidence of a vicious cycle involving decreased muscle mass and strength (sarcopenia), chewing and swallowing problems and malnutrition. In the current proposal we propose a two-phase project to disrupt this vicious cycle.

During phase I (current grant period) we will determine the physiological predictors of chewing, swallowing and eating behaviors and identify people with impairments.

We will also determine the prevalence of chewing and swallowing impairments and strengthen our multidisciplinary network comprising of researchers from dentistry, swallowing experts, dietitians, physiotherapists and experts is malnutrition and sarcopenia.

During phase II we will perform interventional studies on stratified groups identified in phase I and employ a multispecialty clinical approach. This includes mouth workout exercises, diet counseling, and behavioral modifications.

We propose that our holistic approach will optimize chewing and swallowing function, improve eating behavior and subsequently prevent malnutrition in the older population.