title: Association between dental amalgam fillings and Alzheimer's disease: a population-based cross-sectional study in Taiwan.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The potential effects of amalgam fillings on the development of Alzheimer's disease (AD) are not well understood. The aim of the study was to evaluate the association between dental amalgam fillings and Alzheimer's disease in Taiwanese population aged 65 and older.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were retrieved from the Longitudinal Health Insurance Database (LHID 2005 and 2010). The study enrolled 1,943,702 beneficiaries from the LHID database. After excluding death cases and individuals aged 65 and under, 207,587 enrollees were finally involved in the study. Dental amalgam fillings are coded as 89001C, 89002C, 89003C, 89101C, 89102C, or 89103C in the national health insurance research database (NHIRD). Alzheimer's disease was diagnosed using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) codes 331.0.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Individuals exposed to amalgam fillings had higher risk of Alzheimer's disease (odds ratio, OR = 1.105, 95 % confidence interval, CI = 1.025-1.190) than their non-exposed counterparts. Further analysis showed that the odds ratio of Ahlzheimer's disease was 1.07 (95 % CI = 0.962-1.196) in men and 1.132 (95 % CI = 1.022-1.254) in women.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Women who were exposed to amalgam fillings were 1.132 times more likely to have Alzheimer's disease than were their non-exposed counterparts.
authors.affiliation: School of Dentistry, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung City, 40201, Taiwan. irisyihuasun@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Yi-Hua
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Institute of Public Health, Chung Shan Medical University, No. 110 Sec. 1 Jianguo N. Road, Taichung City, 40201, Taiwan. nforoswald2@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Oswald Ndi
authors.initials: ON
authors.lastname: Nfor
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Institute of Public Health, Chung Shan Medical University, No. 110 Sec. 1 Jianguo N. Road, Taichung City, 40201, Taiwan. wchinyang@yahoo.com.tw.
authors.forename: Jing-Yang
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Institute of Public Health, Chung Shan Medical University, No. 110 Sec. 1 Jianguo N. Road, Taichung City, 40201, Taiwan. Liawyp@csmu.edu.tw.|Department of Family and Community Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan. Liawyp@csmu.edu.tw.
authors.forename: Yung-Po
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Liaw
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D016208:Databases, Factual; D003723:Dental Amalgam / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D003793:Dental Restoration, Permanent / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D038801:International Classification of Diseases; D016015:Logistic Models; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008628:Mercury; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012737:Sex Factors; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D003723:Dental Amalgam; D008628:Mercury