Sarcopenic Dysphagia as a New Concept

Dysphagia (swallowing difficulties) is a serious problem associated with malnutrition, dehydration, aspiration pneumonia, and death. Its well‐known causes include stroke, neuromuscular disease, and head and neck cancer, and these affect muscles and sensa‐ tion during deglutition. In recent years, dysphagia due to sarcopenia (i.e. “sarcopenic dysphagia”) has been reported as a new concept. Sarcopenic dysphagia results from low swallowing and general skeletal muscle mass and strength. The characteristic changes in swallowing muscles occur primarily in oral and pharyngeal muscles along with other associated factors. With a rapidly aging population, the number of older adults with sar‐ copenic dysphagia is expected to increase. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate the pathophysiology and treatment strategies for sarcopenic dysphagia. In this chapter, we summarize previous studies related to sarcopenic dysphagia.