A recent study indicates that older adults suffering from diabetes and complete tooth loss experience more severe cognitive decline and at a faster rate than their counterparts without these conditions.
This finding emphasizes the crucial role of dental care and diabetes management for older adults in mitigating the effects of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.
Study Details
Led by Bei Wu, vice dean for research at New York University’s Rory Meyers College of Nursing, the research team analyzed 12 years of data (2006-2018) from the University of Michigan’s Health and Retirement Study.
This study involved nearly 10,000 older adults across different age groups. They focused on assessing memory and cognitive function every two years and took into account tooth loss, diabetes, and other health and demographic factors.
The study discovered that within the 65-74 and 75-84 age groups, those with both diabetes and complete tooth loss had worse cognitive function compared to their peers who did not have these conditions.
Furthermore, adults aged 65-74 with both diabetes and tooth loss experienced the most accelerated rate of cognitive decline.
Links Between Diabetes, Oral Health, and Cognitive Decline
Diabetes and poor oral health are established risk factors for cognitive decline and dementia.
Diabetes can lead to high blood sugar, insulin resistance, inflammation, and related heart disease, all of which are believed to cause changes in the brain.
Similarly, poor oral health, particularly gum disease and tooth loss, is associated with cognitive impairment and dementia.
Inflammation plays a significant role in both diabetes and gum disease and may contribute to cognitive decline.
Additionally, painful gums and missing teeth can lead to dietary changes, causing nutritional deficiency.
This deficiency can be exacerbated by impaired glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity in diabetes, adding to the risk factors for cognitive impairment and dementia.
Recommendations and Implications
Given these findings, the researchers highlight the importance of regular dental visits, adherence to diabetes treatment, and cognitive screenings in primary care settings for older adults with both poor oral health and diabetes.
“Access to dental care for older adults—especially those with diabetes—is critical, and health care providers should educate their patients about the connection between oral health and cognition,” said Wu.
This study was supported by the National Institutes of Health and its findings were published in the Journal of Dental Research.
Follow us on Twitter for more articles about this topic.
If you care about brain health, please read studies about how the Mediterranean diet could protect your brain health, and Omega-3 fats and carotenoid supplements could improve memory.
For more information about brain health, please see recent studies about antioxidants that could help reduce dementia risk, and higher magnesium intake could help benefit brain health.
Copyright © 2023 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
