Self‐Reported Masticatory Dysfunction and Mortality in Community Dwelling Elderly Adults: A 9‐Year Follow‐Up

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the association, if any, between masticatory dysfunction (MD) and mortality in older adults. DESIGN: The Invecchiare in Chianti (InCHIANTI) Study, a cohort study with 9-year follow-up. SETTING: Tuscany, Italy. PARTICIPANTS: Individuals aged 65 and older (N = 1,155). MEASUREMENTS: MD was self-reported; Cox regression was used to assess the association between self-reported MD and 9-year all-cause mortality. This association was also evaluated after stratifying according to use of dentures. Analyses were adjusted for potential confounders, including demographic characteristics, lifestyle habits, comorbidities, nutrient intake, medications, and objective parameters. RESULTS: Four hundred five (35%) participants reported MD. Over the 9-year follow-up, 475 (41%) subjects died. According to Cox regression analysis, self-reported MD was associated with higher mortality (relative risk (RR) = 1.23, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.02–1.48), after adjusting for potential confounders. In participants with self-reported MD, uncorrected edentulism was the condition associated with the greatest risk of mortality (RR = 2.10, 95% CI = 1.07–4.14); use of dentures seemed to blunt this association (RR = 1.12, 95% CI = 0.87–1.44). CONCLUSION: Self-reported MD, chiefly when due to uncorrected edentulism, is associated with 9-year all-cause mortality in community-dwelling elderly adults. Further studies are needed to evaluate whether the timely correction of MD using adequate dentures can increase the survival of older adults. J Am Geriatr Soc 64:2503–2510, 2016.

Effects of self-assessed chewing ability, tooth loss and serum albumin on mortality in 80-year-old individuals: a 20-year follow-up study

“…The results of that study showed that masticatory dysfunction acted independently of serum levels of albumin on the risk of mortality. Nutrition is not only a matter of chewing ability but also depends on other influencing factors [39], and a systematic review concluded that chewing ability explains only part of the variance in food and nutrient intake by older adults [40].…”

“…", "Has the amount of food you usually eat decreased in the last year because of chewing problems?" [39] and "Can you chew any type of food?" [43,44].…”

“…Wearing dentures improved mortality [24,25,39]. A recently published systematic review noted that there was no report that compared mortality in complete denture wearers to mortality in edentulous patients who were not wearing complete dentures [54].…”

Mortality- and Health-Related Factors in a Community-Dwelling of Oldest-Older Adults at the Age of 90: A 10-Year Follow-Up Study

“…It is a stable indicator with minor variation over time [ 72 ]. It can be the predictor or a risk factor for mortality in older adults [ 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 ]. In this study, self-assessed chewing ability was statistically significant for women.…”

“…In addition, impaired oral function and dysphagia increases the risk of aspiration pneumonia and choking [ 16 , 17 ]. Several studies have suggested that self-assessed chewing ability or mastication deficiency is a risk for mortality [ 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 ]. However, for addressing oral health and nutrition, well-designed studies are still not enough [ 22 ].…”