Some studies have shown an association between oral health and mortality by stroke. Oral health have been assessed in studies by the number of tooth extractions as a factor of exposure to oral infection. The Oslo II-study was carried out in the year 2000 among elderly men of mean age 69 years. In all, 6029 had not experienced a stroke, and among these 31 died of cerebral infarct, 49 of cerebral haemorrhage, and 50 died from unspecified stroke, respectively.
In our study, we looked at self reported information on oral health as periodontitis, total oral infections, and number of tooth extractions that could be associated with death from stroke.
We found that men with more than ten teeth extracted had 2.9 times the risk of dying from cerebral infarction compared to other participants, but not an increased risk of cerebral haemorrhage or unspecified stroke. The analysis was adjusted for and therefore independent of age, total serum cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, BMI, diabetes, and regular weekly alcohol consumption. In addition to number of extractions > 10 were HDL-cholesterol, diabetes and regular weekly alcohol consumption predictors for cerebral infarction.
The risk factors for the different stroke diagnoses varied. Self reported periodontitis and total oral infection did not predict death due to stroke, but number of extractions more than ten did.
Referance:
Håheim LL, Nafstad P, Schwarze PE, Olsen I, Rønningen KS, Thelle DS. Oral health and cardiovascular disease risk factors and mortality of cerebral haemorrhage, cerebral infarction and unspecified stroke in elderly men: A prospective cohort study. Scand J Public Health. 2019 Dec 8:1403494819879351. doi: 10.1177/1403494819879351.
Contact:
- Anne-Lise Lund Håheim
- Ingar Olsen