title: Possible interaction of gender and age on human swallowing behavior.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The swallowing behavior is affected by age and possibly by gender. However, the interaction of the effects of age and gender on swallowing is not completely known.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the possibility of interaction of gender and age on human swallowing behavior.
  
  
  METHODS
  Swallowing was evaluated in 89 healthy subjects by the water swallowing test, 43 men and 46 women aged 20-40 years (younger, n = 38), 41-60 years (middle-aged, n = 31) and 61-80 years (older, n = 20). Each subject ingested in triplicate 50 mL of water while precisely timed and the number of swallows needed to ingest all the volume was counted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The interval between swallows was shorter and the volume in each swallow was smaller in women compared to men. In older subjects the time to ingest the 50 mL of water was longer, the interval between swallows was longer, and swallowing flow and volume in each swallow were smaller than in younger and middle-aged subjects. The swallowing flow was lower in women compared to men in younger subjects. The volume of each swallow was smaller in women than in men in younger and middle-aged subjects. There was no difference in swallowing flow and volume between older men and older women.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Age and gender influence swallowing behavior, with the effect of gender being more evident in younger subjects and the effect of age being more evident in men.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Medical School of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Brazil. rodantas@fmrp.usp.br
authors.forename: Roberto Oliveira
authors.initials: RO
authors.lastname: Dantas
authors.forename: Leda Maria Tavares
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Alves
authors.forename: Carla Manfredi dos
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.forename: Rachel de Aguiar
authors.initials: Rde A
authors.lastname: Cassiani
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003679:Deglutition / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012016:Reference Values; D012737:Sex Factors; D013997:Time Factors