Homocysteine blood level in long-term care residents with oropharyngeal dysphagia: comparison of hand-oral and tube-enteral-fed patients.

Background: Levels of homocysteine, methylmalonic acid, and relevant vitamins were measured and evaluated in patients with oral dysphagia (OD) receiving long-term care (LTC).

Methods: Group A was composed of 26 orally fed patients, and group B was composed of 25 patients who were fed by nasogastric tube. All patients were hospitalized in the LTC departments of the Geriatric Medical Center, Shmuel Harofe.