Possible relationship between periodontitis and dementia in a North Indian old age population: a pilot study

Abstract

Possible relationship between periodontitis and dementia in a North Indian old age population: a pilot study Background: Periodontitis and cognitive impairment or dementia is relatively common among older adults. Few cross-sectional studies and some longitudinal studies have attempted to link oral health with dementia diagnosis or disease pathology but none has investigated the role of inflammation as a potential mediator. Objectives: This study was planned to establish a relation of inflammatory mediators between periodontitis and dementia. Materials and methods: Fifty-five patients with severe periodontitis (range 60-69 years), 20 with dementia (10:10 M:F; range 59-69) and 32 healthy controls (range 58-69 years) were selected. The sociodemographic characteristics, physical health, oral health, education status, and medical status were measured. Serum C-reactive protein (CRP), matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-8, MMP-9, total IGF-I, free IGF-I and TNF-alpha and GCF MMP-8 &MMP-9 were calculated. Results: There was no significant difference between the three groups in the level of education, age, occupation, BMI, CAD, CHF and diabetes except dentate status. After adjusting for age, significant differences were found between patients and controls with respect to gingival inflammation, dental plaque, bleeding on probing and probing pocket depth. Total counts of WBCs, neutrophils, thrombocytic counts and serum CRP, MMP-8, MMP-9, TNF-alpha levels were significantly higher in dementia and periodontitis patients in contrast to healthy controls, while, RBC counts, total IGF-I and Hb levels were lowered in dementia and periodontitis patients in comparison to healthy controls, although higher in dementia as compared to periodontitis patients. Conclusions: This study data suggest a relationship of inflammatory mediators between periodontitis and dementia. Further exploration of this is warranted.

MMP‐8 ‐799 C>T genetic polymorphism is associated with the susceptibility to chronic and aggressive periodontitis in Taiwanese

“…Most recently, significantly higher serum CRP, MMP‐8, MMP‐9, TNF‐α levels have been reported in dementia and periodontitis patients in comparison with HC (Rai et al. ). Increased amounts of MMP‐8 (as well as MMP‐1, ‐3 and myeloperoxidase) in saliva and the presence of putative periodontal pathogens in HIV‐patients’ periodontal pockets have been reported (Mellanen et al.…”

Cross-sectional associations of oral health measures with cognitive function in late middle–aged adults

“…Although investigators in cross-sectional studies 14,20,21 and a prospective study 19 found that biological markers for periodontal infection were associated with dementia or cognitive impairment, studies in which researchers have investigated these associations by using clinical signs of periodontal disease (for example, pocket depth, gingival bleeding or attachment loss) have shown mixed results. 2,5,7,8,11,18,22,23 Possible reasons for this variability are that many of these studies had small numbers of participants, 7,18 and some studies relied on measures of periodontal disease that are based on partial examinations 8,22 or self-report.…”

Una mirada al manejo odontológico del paciente geriátrico con demencia

“…Las enfermedades orales más comunes encontradas en pacientes ancianos y más aún con demencia o algún tipo de discapacidad, se asocian a la presencia de placa bacteriana: caries dental y enfermedad periodontal, debido principalmente a la dificultad de realizar la higiene oral, a los cambios en la dieta y a la hiposalivación relacionada con el consumo de medicamentos (12,21,(25)(26)(27).…”