A large U.S. study published in the Journal of Periodontology found that gum disease is associated with lower cognitive functioning and elevated biomarkers linked to Alzheimer's disease risk in midlife adults, suggesting that oral health may be an important factor in cognitive health and dementia prevention.
- About 15% of study participants had a history of gum disease, which was linked to lower general cognitive functioning and reduced scores on domain-specific cognitive tasks.
- Gum disease was associated with heightened levels of pTau-181, a blood biomarker used to assess Alzheimer's disease risk.
- Periodontal disease showed a connection to elevated C-reactive protein levels, indicating inflammation linked to cognitive decline.
- Researchers emphasized the need for future research to determine causation and identify gum disease as a modifiable risk factor for cognitive impairment and dementia.
Poor gum health may be associated with cognitive performance and biological signs linked to dementia risk in midlife, according to a large U.S. study published on October 30 in the Journal of Periodontology.
The study highlights the importance of conducting future research to determine whether the association is causal or coincidental, the authors wrote.
“Periodontal disease is associated with modestly lower general cognitive functioning and scores on some domain-specific cognitive tasks,” wrote the authors, led by John Robert Warren, PhD, of the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis.
As the U.S. population ages, so has the rising burden of cognitive impairments like Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD). Effective treatments, however, remain elusive, highlighting the need for improved epidemiology and prevention efforts, including possible modifiable factors linked to the risk of cognitive impairment and ADRD.
To explore possible links between gum disease, biological markers of ADRD risk, and cognitive test performance, researchers used data from the United States High School and Beyond cohort study, which in this study represented 13,950 people enrolled during high school in 1980 through midlife in 2021. Information about educational contexts, opportunities, and outcomes, as as well as early life circumstances and demographics, were included in the data.
The data from 2021 included predictors of gum disease diagnosis history, blood biomarkers of ADRD risk, and multiple measures of cognitive functioning.
Of the individuals, about 15% had a history of gum disease. Periodontal disease was linked to lower general cognitive functioning and scores on some domain-specific cognitive tasks, the authors wrote.
Additionally, gum disease was linked to heightened levels of pTau-181, a blood and cerebrospinal fluid biomarker used to help assess and rule out Alzheimer's disease, and C-reactive protein, a protein produced by the liver that indicates inflammation, they wrote.
Nevertheless, the study had limitations, including that researchers relied on self-reported data, which can introduce bias, they wrote.
“Our findings suggest that, in a diverse, representative, community-based sample, self-reported periodontal disease is associated with cognitive test performance and some ADRD risk biomarkers,” Warren and colleagues wrote.
