title: Oral infections as predictors of mortality.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Oral infections may increase the levels of cytokines in the blood which, in turn, are associated with early mortality in the elderly. We investigated the possible association between oral infections and mortality.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective cohort study over a 5-year follow-up.
  
  
  METHODS
  Research laboratory.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cohort born in 1910 (n = 94) was examined in the year 1995. Five years later mortality data were obtained from the population register for 49 deceased subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  Urgent need of dental treatment, lifetime, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The multivariate analysis adjusted for general health and lifestyle factors showed that the risk for death of subjects in urgent need of dental treatments was 3.9 times higher than that of the other subjects. Among men ESR correlated significantly with urgent need of dental treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Oral infections among frail elderly people may be a sign of early mortality.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Dentistry, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. Piia.hamalainen@helsinki.fi
authors.forename: Piia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hämäläinen
authors.forename: Jukka H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Meurman
authors.forename: Markku
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kauppinen
authors.forename: Marja
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Keskinen
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001799:Blood Sedimentation; D004522:Educational Status; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D016330:Frail Elderly; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009909:Oral Health; D013280:Stomatitis / Q000401:mortality*