J Appl Gerontol. 2025 Aug 5:7334648251364574. doi: 10.1177/07334648251364574. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTObjectiveTo investigate whether dysphagia symptoms are associated with the incidence of physical pre-frailty and frailty in older adults.MethodsA sample of 149 participants without pre-frailty or frailty at baseline was analyzed. Data were collected at baseline and at a 9-year follow-up. A multinomial regression model was run and controlled for socioeconomic, behavioral, and clinical characteristics.ResultsMany participants (41.6%) had dysphagia symptoms. Dysphagia symptoms were associated with physical pre-frailty (RR = 2.37, 95%CI 1.02-5.50) and frailty (RR = 3.64, 95%CI 1.01-13.21).ConclusionDysphagia symptoms are associated with an increased likelihood of incident physical pre-frailty and frailty in community-dwelling older adults. Thus, early multidisciplinary identification of dysphagia symptoms in older adults can help prevent pre-frailty and frailty in this population.PMID:40762419 | DOI:10.1177/07334648251364574