Is periodontitis a risk factor for cognitive impairment and dementia? A case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Dementia is a multi-etiologic syndrome characterized by multiple cognitive deficits but not always by the presence of cognitive impairment. Cognitive impairment is associated with multiple non-modifiable risk factors but few modifiable factors. Epidemiologic studies have shown an association between periodontitis, a potentially modifiable risk factor, and cognitive impairment. The objective of this study is to determine whether clinical periodontitis is associated with the diagnosis of cognitive impairment/dementia after controlling for known risk factors, including age, sex, and education level. METHODS: A case-control study was conducted in Granada, Spain, in two groups of dentate individuals aged >50 years: 1) cases with a firm diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment or dementia of any type or severity and 2) controls with no subjective memory loss complaints and a score >30 in the Phototest cognitive test (screening test for cognitive impairment). Periodontitis was evaluated by measuring tooth loss, plaque and bleeding indexes, probing depths, and clinical attachment loss (AL). RESULTS: The study included 409 dentate adults, 180 with cognitive impairment and 229 without. A moderate and statistically significant association was observed between AL and cognitive impairment after controlling for age, sex, education level, oral hygiene habits, and hyperlipidemia (P = 0.049). No significant association was found between tooth loss and cognitive impairment. CONCLUSION: Periodontitis appears to be associated with cognitive impairment after controlling for confounders such as age, sex, and education level.

Epidemiological study of oral cancer patients in Alava province, Spain.

The authors conducted a retrospective study of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSSC) patients in the province of Alava, Spain, to investigate the various epidemiological factors involved. The study included data on 30 patients referred to the Otolaryngology Department of our hospital. The authors identified epidemiological data, including age, symptoms, localization, tumor size, risk factors, tumor stage, treatment and outcome. An elevated percentage of risk factors was found, underlining the importance of early diagnosis. The highest prevalence was in the sixth decade of life. The most frequent symptom was pain, and the localization was in the tongue in 70% of cases. Tumor size ranged from 2 to 3 cm, and 85% of patients underwent surgical resection. Risk factors of smoking and drinking affected 50% of the patients.