Clinical trial · Exercise · 13 Nov 2026
In 21 older adults admitted with pneumonia, chin-tuck exercise was only a feasibility test
Source: JMIR Formative Research
What the research found
A feasibility trial was published on 13 November 2026. Two UK hospitals enrolled older adults aged 75 or older who had been admitted with pneumonia. 24 people were recruited and 21 were randomized (0.91 per month). Of those approached, 24 of 75 agreed. 11 of 21 finished. Groups were usual care, once-daily chin-tuck against resistance, or twice-daily, for 12 weeks, with follow-up to 24 weeks. The main reason people left was medical. Swallow scores (EAT-10 and 4QT) suggested improvement. FOIS changed little. A quality-of-life score (EQ-5D-3L) improved over time. The lower-intensity schedule looked best on those signals. Chin-tuck strength rose by a mean of 0.8 kgf (standard deviation 0.9). Registry ISRCTN12813363. Feasibility only, and the sample is too small to claim a benefit. The abstract does not give a sex split. DOI 10.2196/79146. Not medical advice.
Evidence level: Clinical trial. This is among the stronger kinds of evidence, but one study rarely settles a question.
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