Swallowing dıfficulty and swallowing anxiety in patients with type-II diabetes mellitus.

BACKGROUND

Type-II Diabetes Mellitus (TII-DM) is the most common endocrine disorder in people who are over 65 years of age. It leads to a decrease in muscle strength and impaired muscle coordination. Ageing and weakness cause swallowing difficulty (SD).

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between duration of disease, SD and swallowing anxiety (SA) in TII-DM patients.

STUDY DESIGN

Prospective case-control study.

METHODS

A total of 103 elderly individuals (74 females and 29 males) participated in this study. Fifty-two elderly patients (aged 70.27 ± 4.65 years) had a TII-DM and the duration of DM was 11.32 ± 10.03 years (minimum: 0-40 years). Fifty-one patients without diabetes mellitus (69.35 ± 3.58 years) were included in the control group. SD was determined using the EAT-10 Questionnaire. SA was evaluated with the Swallowing Anxiety Scale developed in the Turkish population. Handgrip strength was evaluated with a Jamar dynamometer on the dominant side.

RESULTS

There was a significant difference in SD (p : 0.042), SA (p : 0.001), and handgrip strength (p : 0.039) between groups. There was a relationship between SD and SA in the control and DM groups (r : 0.577; p : 0.000 and r : 0.663; p : 0.000, respectively). There was no relationship between the other parameters (age, SD, SA, and handgrip strength) in the control group (p < 0.05). There was a positive moderate relationship between SA and duration of disease in the TII-DM group (r : 0.472; p : 0.000). There was no relationship between other parameters (age, SD, SA, handgrip strength, and duration of disease) in the DM group (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

In elderly individuals with TII-DM and without DM, there were differences in SD, SA, and handgrip strength. Although there was a relationship between SD and SA in both groups, this relationship was found to be higher in elderly patients with TII-DM. In addition, there was a relationship between the duration of diagnosis and SA. In elderly individuals, evaluating SD with SA was thought to be helpful in the prevention or early rehabilitation of swallowing disorders.