Dementia: Doctor outlines changes to help prevent disease
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A study, led by researchers at NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing, found that the risk of dementia and cognitive impairment grows with each tooth lost. While the reason for the link remains unclear, prior studies have suggested that missing teeth can lead to difficulty chewing, which may contribute to nutritional deficiencies or changes in the brain.
Other studies have drawn a connection between gum disease – one of the leading causes of tooth loss – and cognitive impairment.
Bei Wu, Professor in Global health, who led the study, said: “Given the staggering number of people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia each year, and the opportunity to improve oral health across the lifespan, it’s important to gain a deeper understanding of the connection between poor oral health and cognitive decline.”
Researchers have pointed out that current studies looking at the association between tooth loss, dementia and cognitive decline have produced mixed results.
Professor Wu and her team conducted a series of studies following patients over time to help clarify the connection between tooth and cognitive impairment.
READ MORE: Dementia symptoms: The signs of dementia in women – how they’re different to the symptoms
The researchers conducted an analysis of 14 studies which included a total of 34,074 adults and 4,689 cases of people with diminished cognitive function.
The findings showed that adults with more tooth loss had a 1.48 times higher risk of developing cognitive impairment and 1.28 times higher risk of being diagnosed with dementia.
However, adults with missing teeth were more likely to have cognitive impairment if they did not have dentures, compared to those who did.
Xiang Qi, a doctoral candidate from NYU Meyers said: “This ‘dose-response’ relationship between the number of missing teeth and risk of diminished cognitive function substantially strengthens the evidence linking tooth loss to cognitive impairment.
“It provides some evidence that tooth loss may predict cognitive decline.”
Professor Wu added: “Our findings underscore the importance of maintaining good oral health and its role in helping to preserve cognitive function.”
The Alzheimer’s Association notes that dementia sufferers may need help remembering to maintain good dental hygiene as their condition develops.
About one in six adults aged 65 or older have lost all of their teeth, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Dementia is a syndrome associated with an ongoing decline of brain functioning, which affects roughly one in 14 people over the age of 65, and one in six people over 80.
It is caused by damage to brain cells, which interferes with the ability of brain cells to communicate with each other and affects the brain’s ability to think, feel or behave normally.
While the illness mostly affects elderly people, there are more than 40,000 younger people in the UK with dementia.
Symptoms of dementia include:
• Memory loss that disrupts daily life
• Challenges in planning or solving problems
• Difficulty in completing familiar tasks
• Confusion with time or place
• Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships
• New problems in speaking or writing
There are currently 850,000 people estimated to be living with dementia in the UK.
The number of people with dementia in the UK is expected to grow rapidly over the next several decades.
There is no treatment currently available to cure dementia or to alter its progressive course. However, numerous treatments are being investigated.
Studies show that people can reduce their risk of dementia by getting regular exercise, not smoking, eating a healthy diets and avoiding harmful use of alcohol.
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