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| Number of teeth and mortality risk in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging | | Author(s) | Dalva Maria Pereira Padilha, Juliana Balbinot Hilgert, Fernando Neves Hugo |
| Journal title | Journals of Gerontology: Series A, Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences, vol 63A, no 7, July 2008 |
| Pages | pp 739-744 |
| Source | http://www.geron.org |
| Keywords | Dental problems ; At risk ; Death ; Longitudinal surveys ; United States of America. |
| Annotation | Findings from several studies suggest an association between oral health and several health outcomes including cardiovascular disease, aspiration pneumonia, malnutrition, poor quality of life, and mortality. The authors used data from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA) to test the hypothesis that number of teeth is indicative of mortality risk independent of other confounders. Dentists conducted a standardized oral examination that included tooth count, tooth with coronal and cervical caries count, and gingival and periodontal index. Blood tests used in the analysis included fasting glucose, oral glucose tolerance test, serum low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, triglycerides, and white blood cell counts. Physical activity, skin fold thickness, body mass index (BMI) and chronic diseases were also evaluated. Of the 500 BLSA participants evaluated, 198 died an average of 130 (±75) months post-dental evaluation, and 302 survivors were followed for a mean of 185 (±90) months. Based on multivariate Cox regression models, being edentulous or having less than 20 teeth was independently associated with mortality. The results of this study support the notion that number of teeth is a significant and independent risk indicator for early mortality. These findings suggest that the improvement of oral health may have a positive impact on general health and may delay mortality. (KJ/RH). |
| Accession Number | CPA-091214214 A |
| Classmark | BLA: CA3: CW: 3J: 7T |
Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing |
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| ...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing. |
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