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Lookup NU author(s): Eftychia KotroniaORCiD, Professor Sheena Ramsay
This is the authors' accepted manuscript of an article that has been published in its final definitive form by The Gerontological Society of America, 2021.
For re-use rights please refer to the publisher's terms and conditions.
Background: We examined the association of objective and subjective oral health markers with inflammatory, haemostatic and cardiac biomarkers in older age. Methods: Cross-sectional analyses were based on the British Regional Heart Study (BRHS) comprising British men aged 71-92 years (n=2147), and the Health, Aging and Body Composition (HABC) Study comprising American men and women aged 71-80 years (n=3075). Oral health markers included periodontal disease, tooth count, dry mouth. Inflammatory biomarkers included C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6) in both studies, and tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA), von Willebrand Factor (vWF), fibrin D-dimer, high sensitivity Troponin T (hsTnT) and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NTproBNP) only in the BRHS. Results: In both studies, tooth loss, was associated with the top tertile of CRP – odds ratios (95%CI) are 1.31 (1.02-1.68) in BRHS; and 1.40 (1.13-1.75) in the HABC Study, after adjusting for confounders. In the HABC Study, cumulative (≥3) oral health problems were associated with higher levels of CRP (OR (95%CI) =1.42 (1.01-1.99)). In the BRHS, complete and partial tooth loss were associated with haemostatic factors, in particular with the top tertile of fibrin D-dimer (OR (95%CI) = 1.64 (1.16-2.30) and 1.37 (1.05-1.77) respectively). Tooth loss and periodontal disease were associated with increased levels of hsTnT. Conclusions: Poor oral health in older age, particularly tooth loss, was consistently associated with some inflammatory, haemostatic and cardiac biomarkers. Prospective studies and intervention trials could help understand better if poor oral health is causally linked to inflammatory, haemostatic and cardiac biomarkers.
Author(s): Kotronia E, Wannamethee SG PhD, Papacosta AO, Whincup PH, Lennon LT, Visser M, Kapila YL, Weyant RJ, Ramsay SE
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: The Journals of Gerontology: Series A
Year: 2021
Volume: 76
Issue: 2
Pages: 346-351
Print publication date: 01/02/2021
Online publication date: 19/04/2020
Acceptance date: 09/04/2020
Date deposited: 20/04/2020
ISSN (print): 1079-535X
ISSN (electronic): 1758-535X
Publisher: The Gerontological Society of America
URL: https://doi.org/10.1093/gerona/glaa096
DOI: 10.1093/gerona/glaa096
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