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The cumulative incidence of dysphagia and dysphagia‐free survival in persons diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Author(s) -
Perry Bridget J.,
Nelson Jason,
Wong John B.,
Kent David M.
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
muscle and nerve
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.025
H-Index - 145
eISSN - 1097-4598
pISSN - 0148-639X
DOI - 10.1002/mus.27244
Subject(s) - dysphagia , medicine , incidence (geometry) , cumulative incidence , amyotrophic lateral sclerosis , pediatrics , surgery , disease , cohort , physics , optics
/Aims Dysphagia worsens mortality and quality of life for persons diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), yet our understanding of its incidence and timing remains limited. In this study we sought to estimate dysphagia incidence and dysphagia‐free survival over time. Methods Using data from the Pooled Resource Open‐Access ALS Clinical Trials Database, we compared characteristics of persons with and without dysphagia upon study entry. To account for competing mortality risk, we used Kaplan‐Meier curves to estimate the cumulative incidence of dysphagia and the median number of days until the development of dysphagia or death in those without dysphagia at study entry. Results Patients with dysphagia upon study entry were more likely to have bulbar onset and had faster rates of functional decline and shorter diagnostic delays. The cumulative incidence of new‐onset dysphagia was 44% at 1 year and 64% at 2 years after trial enrollment for those with spinal onset, and 85% and 92% for those with bulbar onset. The median duration of dysphagia‐free survival after trial enrollment was 11.5 months for those with spinal onset and 3.2 months for those with bulbar onset. Discussion Our findings underscore the high risk for dysphagia development and support the need for early dysphagia referral and evaluation to minimize the risk of serious dysphagia‐related complications.