Oral Health and Brain Health: Cause, Consequence, or Confounding?

Epidemiologic studies of the association between periodontal disease and cardiovascular disease, including stroke, had mixed findings.1 Some studies have found that serum antibodies to major periodontal pathogens are associated with coronary heart disease (CHD), suggesting that periodontal infection or the host response to periodontal infection may play a causal role in CHD.1 More recently, longitudinal studies have supported an association of periodontal disease between cognitive decline and dementia.2 The motivation for these studies has been two-fold. First, periodontal disease is known to be associated with systemic inflammation,3 which, in turn, is known to be causally associated with atherosclerotic disease.4 Second, periodontal disease is potentially modifiable in the population. The limitation of all observational epidemiologic studies is the problem of confounding by incompletely measured or unmeasured variables, such as diet, health behaviors including oral hygiene, and the host response to infection. In addition, studies oral health and either cognitive decline or dementia may suffer from reverse causality; cognitive changes may lead to lessened oral hygiene and periodontal disease.

Sleep Health as a Determinant of Disparities in Stroke Risk and Health Outcome.

Sleep is essential to human survival and overall vascular health. Sleep health encompasses the objective and subjective qualities associated with one's daily pattern of sleep and wakefulness and has become a growing clinical and public health concern. Impaired sleep duration and quality can increase stroke risk and mediate the relationship between the physical aspects of an individual's environment and disparities in stroke incidence. Here, we review observational studies evaluating the association between sleep health and cerebrovascular disease. We assess the influence on sleep of the physical environment, including the ambient environment with noise levels and the built environment. We also describe the influences on sleep health and stroke risk of social determinants of health, including the chronic stressor of racial discrimination. Finally, we discuss how changes in historical neighborhood characteristics or societal policies can influence the social factors affecting sleep health and stroke risk among socioeconomically disadvantaged groups or ethnic and racial minorities. Given the regional and racial or ethnic differences in stroke risk across the United States, an understanding of novel vascular risk factors, such as the multifaceted role of sleep health, will be critical to develop effective public policies to improve population health.

Inpatients with neurologic disease referred for palliative care consultation.

OBJECTIVES: To compare characteristics and needs of inpatients with neurologic disease to those with cancer referred for palliative care (PC) consultation. METHODS: This prospective cohort study used data collected by the Palliative Care Quality Network from January 2013 until December 2016. We compared demographics, reasons for consultation, discharge disposition, Palliative Performance Scale (PPS) score, and outcomes of care among patients with a primary diagnosis of neurologic disease vs cancer. RESULTS: The most common reason for PC consultation in all patients was assistance with goals of care and advanced care planning. PC consultation was less often requested for pain and symptom management in patients with neurologic disease compared to patients with cancer (13.7% vs 43%, odds ratio 0.3) and more often for assistance with transition to comfort measures only and withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment (19.1% vs 7.1%, odds ratio 1.3). Patients with cancer had higher PPS scores (42.1% vs 23.4%) and were more likely to be discharged home from the hospital, while patients with neurologic disease were more likely to die in hospital. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with neurologic disease as a reason for PC consultation are more in need of end-of-life care planning and more likely to die in the hospital than those with cancer, suggesting that targeted approaches may best address the needs of each patient population. Our results can direct further research and education in neuropalliative care.