Tooth loss and cognitive impairment.
OBJECTIVE
Chronic subclinical inflammation may elevate the risk of cognitive impairment. Periodontitis is associated with subclinical inflammation and accounts in part for tooth loss. The hypothesis was tested that periodontitis and tooth loss as a proxy of chronic periodontitis is associated with cognitive impairment in the elderly.


METHODS
The population-based Study of Health in Pomerania comprises 1336 subjects (60-79 years). Cognitive impairment was assessed with the Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE). Tobit regression analyses were adjusted for potential confounders.


RESULTS
A decreased number of teeth was associated with lower MMSE scores in females (p<0.001) and males (p=0.007) in age-adjusted models. In the fully adjusted models, tooth loss was associated with cognitive impairment in females (p=0.002) but not in males (p=0.825).


CONCLUSIONS
A significant association between tooth loss and cognitive impairment was found in females that was not accounted for by potential confounders. Former periodontitis may account for this association as periodontitis was frequently the cause for tooth extractions.
Grabe
Hans Joergen
HJ
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, HANSE-Klinikum Stralsund, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-University of Greifswald, Stralsund, Germany. grabeh@uni-greifswald.de
Schwahn
Christian
C
Völzke
Henry
H
Spitzer
Carsten
C
Freyberger
Harald Juergen
HJ
John
Ulrich
U
Mundt
Thorsten
T
Biffar
Reiner
R
Kocher
Thomas
T
D000368:Aged; D015984:Causality; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008609:Mental Status Schedule; D010518:Periodontitis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D016388:Tooth Loss / Q000453:epidemiology*