Effectiveness of Texture Modified Diets on Dysphagia in Older adults: A Systematic Review

Dysphagia is common among older people and is associated with an increased risk of aspiration pneumonia, dehydration, and malnutrition. Treatment options are limited, and the use of texture-modified diets is a widespread clinical practice in geriatric care. This systematic review aimed at evaluating the evidence available using keyword searches by using recognized electronic databases from 2011 to 2021. Studies were evaluated for their acceptability, then reviewed with data extracted, and grouped by types of outcome measures. A total of 136 publications were identified, and only 10 studies met the inclusion criteria. There were no publications examining the effectiveness of texture-modified diets for older adults (≥60 years) exclusively with dysphagia. However, many studies which had included subjects with dysphagia and texture-modified diets in managing aspiration and providing nutrition and hydration in settings like residential aged-care facilities and hospitals were reviewed in this paper. This review identified the gaps in the area and showed the strong grounds for the need of clinical trials to guide the best practices.