Negative association of hemoglobin levels with mortality in older Japanese patients with dysphagia: a retrospective cohort study

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Source: Frontiers Medicine

Original: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmed.2026.1742752...

Published: 2026-03-05T00:00:00Z

The study examined the relationship between hemoglobin levels and mortality in 253 elderly Japanese patients with dysphagia (difficulty swallowing) followed up between 2014 and 2017. The results showed that every 1 g/dL increase in hemoglobin was associated with a 14% reduction in the risk of death. Patients with the lowest hemoglobin levels (5.4–10.2 g/dL) had a median survival of 212 days, while patients with the highest levels (≥12.0 g/dL) had a median survival of greater than 1463 days. The difference in survival between the groups was statistically significant. The analysis confirmed that the level of hemoglobin is an independent prognostic factor - that is, that its effect on mortality is not caused by other factors. These findings highlight the importance of hemoglobin as a prognostic indicator in elderly patients with dysphagia.