Impact of trunk and appendicular skeletal muscle mass on improving swallowing function in acute stroke patients

To investigate the effect of trunk and appendicular skeletal muscle mass on the swallowing function at discharge in acute stroke patients.This retrospective cohort study included patients hospitalized after acute strokes. Skeletal muscle mass was measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis within 5 days of admission. The primary outcome was swallowing function at acute hospital discharge, assessed using the Functional Oral Intake Scale (FOIS). Secondary outcomes were Functional Independence Measure-eating (FIM-eating) scores and length of hospital stay.Data from 231 patients (age 72.2 years; 151 men) were included in the analysis. The median trunk muscle mass index (TMI) was 8.2 and 6.8 kg/mSkeletal muscle mass had site-specific impacts on swallowing function and eating activities. This finding may contribute to the design of more individualized rehabilitation programs.