Shih-I Chen1, Chin-Ling Chiang2, Chia-Ter Chao3, Chih-Kang Chiang4, Jenq-Wen Huang5. 1. Nephrology Division, Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital BeiHu Branch and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan; Geriatric and Community Medicine Research Center, National Taiwan University Hospital BeiHu Branch, Taipei, Taiwan. 2. Department of Nursing, National Taiwan University Hospital BeiHu Branch, Taipei, Taiwan. 3. Nephrology Division, Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital BeiHu Branch and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan; Geriatric and Community Medicine Research Center, National Taiwan University Hospital BeiHu Branch, Taipei, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Toxicology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan. Electronic address: b88401084@gmail.com. 4. Graduate Institute of Toxicology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Integrative Diagnostics and Therapeutics, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan. 5. Nephrology Division, Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital Yunlin branch, Yunlin county, Taiwan.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Gustatory function is frequently impaired in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), and the associated taste dysfunction contributes to compromised nutrition. Whether gustatory dysfunction is an underappreciated risk factor for frailty in patients with CKD remains unclear. The objective of this work was to examine the role of gustatory dysfunction as a risk factor for frailty in patients with CKD. METHODS: We prospectively enrolled patients with stage 3 or higher CKD from a single institute, with their gustatory function assessed using both objective (taste strip method) and subjective approaches, and frailty identified using the Edmonton frail scale, FRAIL scale, and Study of Osteoporotic Fracture (SOF) scale. Multiple regression analyses were performed to investigate whether results from gustatory function tests independently correlated with frailty. RESULTS: Among the enrolled patients with CKD, 14 (17.9%) were found to be frail. We discovered that higher taste strip scores, or better taste function, were significantly associated with a lower frail probability (odds ratio [OR] 0.74 per score, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.57-0.97), independent of clinical features, while better subjective taste function (OR 0.84 per score, 95% CI 0.74-0.96) and better oral cavity intactness (OR, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.9-0.98) were similarly associated with a lower frail probability among patients with CKD. CONCLUSION: Gustatory dysfunction may be an important risk factor for frailty in patients with CKD. It is tempting to presume that interventions aiming to ameliorate such deficits may bear the potential of reducing frailty severity in this population with a high frailty burden.
OBJECTIVE: Gustatory function is frequently impaired in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), and the associated taste dysfunction contributes to compromised nutrition. Whether gustatory dysfunction is an underappreciated risk factor for frailty in patients with CKD remains unclear. The objective of this work was to examine the role of gustatory dysfunction as a risk factor for frailty in patients with CKD. METHODS: We prospectively enrolled patients with stage 3 or higher CKD from a single institute, with their gustatory function assessed using both objective (taste strip method) and subjective approaches, and frailty identified using the Edmonton frail scale, FRAIL scale, and Study of Osteoporotic Fracture (SOF) scale. Multiple regression analyses were performed to investigate whether results from gustatory function tests independently correlated with frailty. RESULTS: Among the enrolled patients with CKD, 14 (17.9%) were found to be frail. We discovered that higher taste strip scores, or better taste function, were significantly associated with a lower frail probability (odds ratio [OR] 0.74 per score, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.57-0.97), independent of clinical features, while better subjective taste function (OR 0.84 per score, 95% CI 0.74-0.96) and better oral cavity intactness (OR, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.9-0.98) were similarly associated with a lower frail probability among patients with CKD. CONCLUSION:Gustatory dysfunction may be an important risk factor for frailty in patients with CKD. It is tempting to presume that interventions aiming to ameliorate such deficits may bear the potential of reducing frailty severity in this population with a high frailty burden.