瑞典研究人员日前发布声明说,其开展的一项研究证实,老人咀嚼能力与认知功能相关,咀嚼能力较差的老人患痴呆症的风险相对较高。其研究成果发表在新一期《美国老年医学会会刊》(Journal of American Geriatrics Society)上。
这项研究由卡罗林斯卡医学院衰老研究中心及该院口腔医学部、瑞典卡尔斯塔德大学的研究人员共同完成。研究报告指出,科研人员以557名77岁以上的瑞典老人为研究对象,分析其牙齿脱落、咀嚼能力和认知功能之间的关系。结果显示,吃苹果等较硬食物时咀嚼能力较差的老人,其认知功能退化风险较高。
研究人员认为,咀嚼能力较差会导致脑部血液流动减弱,这是与老年痴呆症病因相关的因素之一。(生物谷Bioon.com)
doi:10.1111/j.1532-5415.2012.04154.x
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Chewing Ability and Tooth Loss: Association with Cognitive Impairment in an Elderly Population Study
Duangjai Lexomboon DDS, PhD1,3,*, Mats Trulsson DDS, PhD2, Inger W?rdh DDS, PhD2, Marti G. Parker PhD3
Keywords:chewing ability;multiple tooth loss;cognitive impairment;elderly population Objectives To determine whether there is an association between tooth loss, chewing ability, and cognitive function in a general elderly population. Design Data from the Panel Study of Living Conditions of the Oldest Old in 2002 were analyzed. Stepwise logistic regression analyses were used to examine the relationship between cognitive function and tooth loss and chewing ability. Participants Five hundred fifty-seven persons who were nationally representative of the Swedish population aged 77 and older. Measurements Cognitive function was measured using the abridged version of the Mini-Mental State Examination. Information on dental status and chewing difficulty was obtained according to self-assessment. Results Persons with multiple tooth loss and persons with difficulty chewing hard food had significantly higher odds of cognitive impairment. When adjusted for sex, age, and education, the odds of cognitive impairment were not significantly different between persons with natural teeth and with multiple tooth loss, but the odds of impairment remained significantly higher for persons with chewing difficulty even when adjusted for sex, age, education, depression, and mental illness. Conclusion Sex, age, education, and certain illnesses do not explain the association between cognition and chewing ability. Whether elderly persons chew with natural teeth or prostheses may not contribute significantly to cognitive impairment as long as they have no chewing difficulty. The results add to the evidence of the association between chewing ability and cognitive impairment in elderly persons.