No abstract

Background The prevalence of periodontal disease is increasing among elderly individuals in Japan. Reports on the risk factors for tooth loss have included socioeconomic status (SES); however, few studies have addressed the association between remaining teeth and SES by examining whether education and occupation have a synergistic effect on tooth loss. Accordingly, the present study evaluated the association of remaining teeth with the socioeconomic factors of educational and occupational histories in Japanese elderly individuals. Methods This retrospective case-control study used data from the Toyama Dementia Survey, Japan. Toyama Prefecture residents aged ≥65 years were randomly selected for the study (sampling rate, 0.5%), and 1303 residents agreed to participate (response rate, 84.8%). Structured interviews with participants and family members (or proxies, if necessary) were conducted. Participants’ lifestyle factors (e.g., smoking and alcohol consumption), medical history, and SES (educational and occupational history) as well as the presence or absence of remaining teeth were assessed. The association between SES and remaining teeth was examined using a logistic regression analysis. Results Overall, 275 cases with no remaining teeth and 898 controls with remaining teeth were identified. The odds ratio (OR) for complete tooth loss was higher among less educated participants (≤6 years) than among highly educated participants [age- and sex-adjusted OR, 3.29; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.90–5.71]; furthermore, it was higher among participants with a blue-collar occupational history than among those with a white-collar occupational history (age- and sex-adjusted OR, 2.16; 95% CI, 1.52–3.06). After adjusting for employment history or educational attainment, the ORs for tooth loss were 2.79–3.07 among less educated participants and 1.89–1.93 among participants with a blue-collar occupational history. A current or former smoking habit and medical history of diabetes and osteoporosis increased the risk of tooth loss. The interaction term of a low level of education and a history of blue-collar occupation with tooth loss was not significant. Conclusions In Japan, a low SES is a risk factor for tooth loss. A low level of education is a more important predictor of tooth loss than a blue-collar occupation.

The pharmacokinetic profiles of clomipramine (CMP) and the serial changes of its concentration in specific brain regions were investigated in rats after an acute treatment with intravenous CMP (10 mg/kg). The CMP concentrations in plasma declined triexponentially and fitted a three‐compartment open model. The brain to plasma concentration ratio showed a constant value, 22.2 ± 4.9, 30 minutes after the injection. Regional brain differences in the CMP distribution and accumulation were also found. Four hours after the injections, the hippocampus was found to have the highest drug concentration, and the concentrations in this region were in the following order; thalamus, striatum, amygdala, cortex > pons + medulla oblongata > hypothalamus, bulbus olfactorius + septum, mesencephalon > cerebellum. Particularly, unique kinetics were observed in the cortex, amygdala and hippocampus.

BackgroundThe association between low socioeconomic status (SES) and dementia is reportedly mediated by lifestyle-related diseases (i.e., diabetes) in European countries and the United States; however, in Japan, the link between low SES and dementia has not been investigated. This study evaluated the possibility of a mediating role of lifestyle-related diseases in the relationship between low SES and dementia in Japan.MethodsA retrospective case-control study design, with data from the Toyama Dementia Survey, Japan, was used. Individuals aged ≥65 years (institutionalized and noninstitutionalized) living in Toyama prefecture were randomly selected, with a sampling rate of 0.5%. Of them, 1303 agreed to participate (response rate 84.8%). Overall, 137 cases of dementia and 1039 unimpaired controls were identified. Structured interviews with participants and family members or proxies were conducted, if necessary. Participants’ history of medically diagnosed disease, lifestyle factors (i.e., smoking and alcohol drinking habits), and SES (educational attainment and occupational history) were assessed. The possibility of low SES being a risk factor for dementia via lifestyle-related diseases was investigated using the Sobel test.ResultsThe odds ratio (OR) for dementia was higher for participants with low educational attainment (6 years or less) than for highly educated participants [age- and sex-adjusted OR 3.27; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.84–5.81]; it was also higher for participants with a blue-collar job history than a white-collar job history (age- and sex-adjusted OR 1.26; 95% CI 0.80–1.98). After adjustment for employment history, the OR for dementia for participants with low educational attainment was 3.23–3.56. Former habitual alcohol consumption and a medical history of diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, stroke, and angina pectoris/cardiovascular disease were found to increase the risk of dementia. Educational attainment was not associated with alcohol consumption, smoking, diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, stroke, or cardiovascular disease. Occupational history was associated with diabetes and stroke. The role of diabetes in low educational attainment and dementia was found to be extremely limited.ConclusionsIn Japan, lifestyle-related diseases play a minimal role as mediators between low SES and dementia.