Abstract: Objective  To study the current situation of oral frailty and sarcopenia and their correlation in patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis (MHD).  Methods  A total of 237 MHD patients were selected for a cross-sectional study. General information questionnaire, oral frailty index-8, simplified nutritional appetite questionnaire and a body composition analyzer were used for this study.  Results  The incidence of oral frailty was 40.9%, and the incidence of sarcopenia was 34.6% in the MHD patients. Logistic regression analysis showed that sarcopenia (OR=3.858, 95% CI: 1.453～10.242, P=0.007) was the main risk factor for oral frailty, and the parameters of sarcopenia, including grip strength (OR=0.904, 95% CI: 0.849～0.963, P=0.002), and gait speed (OR=0.015, 95% CI: 0.003～0.083, P＜0.001) were also risk factors for oral frailty in the MHD patients.  Conclusion  The incidence rates of oral frailty and sarcopenia are higher in MHD patients, and sarcopenia is the risk factor for oral frailty. Clinicians and nurses should pay attention to the presence of  oral frailty and sarcopenia in MHD patients.

Key words: Maintenance hemodialysis, Oral frailty, Sarcopenia, Correlation