title: Maximum bite force at age 70 years predicts all-cause mortality during the following 13 years in Japanese men.
abstract: There is limited information on the impact of oral function on mortality among older adults. The aim of this prospective cohort study was to examine whether an objective measure of oral function, maximum bite force (MBF), is associated with mortality in older adults during a 13-year follow-up period. Five hundred and fifty-nine community-dwelling Japanese (282 men and 277 women) aged 70 years at baseline were included in the study. Medical and dental examinations and a questionnaire survey were conducted at baseline. Maximum bite force was measured using an electronic recording device (Occlusal Force-Meter GM10). Follow-up investigation to ascertain vital status was conducted 13 years after baseline examinations. Survival rates among MBF tertiles were compared using Cox proportional hazards regression models stratified by sex. There were a total of 111 deaths (82 events for men and 29 for women). Univariable analysis revealed that male participants in the lower MBF tertile had increased risk of all-cause mortality [hazard ratio (HR) = 1·94, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1·13-3·34] compared with those in the upper MBF tertile. This association remained significant after adjustment for confounders (adjusted HR = 1·84, 95% CI = 1·07-3·19). Conversely, no association between MBF and all-cause mortality was observed in female participants. Maximum bite force was independently associated with all-cause mortality in older Japanese male adults. These data provide additional evidence for the association between oral function and geriatric health.
authors.affiliation: Division of Preventive Dentistry, Department of Oral Health Science, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, Japan.|Division of Community Oral Health Development, Kyushu Dental University, Kitakyushu, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Iwasaki
authors.affiliation: Division of Oral Science for Health Promotion, Department of Oral Health and Welfare, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, Japan.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yoshihara
authors.affiliation: Division of Comprehensive Prosthodontics, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, Japan.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.affiliation: Division of Preventive Dentistry, Department of Oral Health Science, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive and Restorative Dental Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
authors.forename: G W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.affiliation: Division of Community Oral Health Development, Kyushu Dental University, Kitakyushu, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ansai
authors.affiliation: Division of Comprehensive Prosthodontics, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ono
authors.affiliation: Division of Preventive Dentistry, Department of Oral Health Science, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Miyazaki
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging; D001732:Bite Force; D002423:Cause of Death; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015577:Geriatric Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D009909:Oral Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011446:Prospective Studies
keywords: cohort studies; elderly; epidemiology; mortality; muscle strength; oral health