Extra Weight May Damage Teeth and Gums in Older Adults
A major review of medical studies confirms that overweight and obesity are linked to serious oral health problems—including gum disease, tooth decay, and tooth loss—in people over 55. The finding matters for insurers, dental practices, and healthcare systems planning care for aging populations, as it suggests weight management could prevent costly dental interventions.
Originaltitel: Association between overweight/obesity and oral health in adults aged 55 and older: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Tandsjukdomar kopplas nu för första gången systematiskt till övervikt och fetma hos äldre. En metaanalys av 16 studier visar att personer över 55 år med övervikt eller fetma har 49 procent högre risk för tandlossningssjukdom än normalviktiga jämnåriga. Risken var särskilt markerad i asiatiska populationer (121 procents ökning) och bland blandade könsgrupper. Forskare från Amsterdam, Bristol och Malmö analyserade databaser fram till november 2023 enligt PRISMA-protokoll. Endast två studier undersökte tandkaries; ingen data fanns för tandslitage eller orofaciala smärtor. Resultaten är relevanta för tandvårdsbeslut och patientstratifiering inom äldreomsorgen. Regionvårdschefer kan använda denna evidence för att integrera tandvård i vikt- och metabolomhändertagandet för över-55-åriga. Läkemedelstillverkare bör utveckla stödverktyg för denna växande patientgrupp.
<p>The increasing prevalence of overweight/obesity among the elderly has significant implications for oral health due to shared pathophysiological mechanisms. Despite its importance, comprehensive reviews on this topic remain limited. This study investigates the association between overweight/obesity and oral health outcomes in adults aged 55 and older. This systematic review followed PRISMA guidelines and was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42020202108). A systematic literature search was conducted across PubMed, Embase.com, CINAHL, and Web of Science up to November 6, 2023. The study was structured using the Population, Intervention/Exposure, Comparison, Outcome, and Study Design (PICOS) criteria: Population (P) included adults aged ≥ 55 years; Intervention/Exposure (I/E) involved overweight/obesity; Comparison (C) included normal-weight individuals; Outcomes (O) focused on periodontal diseases, dental caries, tooth wear, and orofacial pain; and Study design (S) included case-control, cross-sectional, prospective, and retrospective cohort studies and randomized controlled trials. Eligible studies underwent data extraction and quality assessment using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale. Meta-analyses were conducted using fixed and random effects models in Stata v.18. From 6219 records, 16 studies met the inclusion criteria. Among these, 14 focused on periodontal diseases, while 2 examined dental caries. No studies met the eligibility criteria for tooth wear or orofacial pain. The included studies were predominantly of "good" or "very good" quality. Meta-analysis indicated that overweight or obese older adults had a significantly higher risk of periodontal disease compared with normal-weight counterparts (pooled odds ratio [OR] = 1.49; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.13-1.97). The association was stronger in studies conducted in Asia (OR = 2.21; 95% CI 1.28-3.81) and in mixed-sex populations (OR = 1.52; 95% CI 1.02-2.28) compared with male-only samples. The two cross-sectional studies on dental caries yielded inconsistent findings, precluding a meta-analysis for this outcome. This systematic review demonstrates a significant association between overweight/obesity and increased prevalence of periodontal disease in adults aged 55 and older. These findings underscore the need to consider oral health as a key component of general health in this population. The current evidence base is insufficient regarding dental caries, tooth wear, and orofacial pain, highlighting the need for high-quality research in these domains.</p>