Relationship Between Frailty and Oral Function in Community-Dwelling Elderly Adults

Yutaka Watanabe; Hirohiko Hirano; Hidenori Arai; Shiho Morishita; Yuki Ohara; Ayako Edahiro; Masaharu Murakami; Hiroyuki Shimada; Takeshi Kikutani; Takao Suzuki

doi:10.1111/jgs.14355

Relationship Between Frailty and Oral Function in Community-Dwelling Elderly Adults

J Am Geriatr Soc. 2017 Jan;65(1):66-76. doi: 10.1111/jgs.14355. Epub 2016 Sep 22.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, Tokyo, Japan.
² National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology, Aichi, Japan.
³ Department of Oral Health Education, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Science, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan.
⁴ Division of Clinical Oral Rehabilitation, Graduate School of Life Dentistry, Nippon Dental University, Tokyo, Japan.
⁵ Section of Gerontology, Graduate School, J. F. Oberlin University, Tokyo, Japan.

PMID: 27655106
DOI: 10.1111/jgs.14355

Abstract

Objectives: To determine the standard values of and age-related changes in objective oral function of healthy older people; compare oral function of robust, prefrail, and frail older people; and determine the association between oral function and frailty.

Design: Cross-sectional analysis.

Setting: General community.

Participants: Elderly adults (≥65) from the Obu Study of Health Promotion for the Elderly were included and assigned to the robust, prefrail, and frail groups (N = 4,720).

Measurements: Each participant underwent detailed physical testing to assess frailty. The frailty phenotype was defined according to the presence of limitations in three or more of the following five domains: mobility, strength, endurance, physical activity, and nutrition. The numbers of present teeth and functional teeth were counted, and occlusal force, masseter muscle thickness, and oral diadochokinesis (ODK) rate were measured, along with sociodemographic and functional status, comorbidities, and blood chemistry.

Results: The number of present teeth, occlusal force, masseter muscle thickness, and ODK rate decreased with age. The frail group had significantly fewer present teeth (women aged ≥70), lower occlusal force (women aged ≥70; men aged ≥80), lower masseter muscle thickness, and lower ODK rate than the robust group. Multivariate analysis indicated that age, Geriatric Depression Scale score, skeletal muscle mass index, Mini-Mental State Examination score, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, albumin and triglyceride levels, and oral function were significantly associated with frailty.

Conclusion: Age-related differences in oral function were found in older adults. Moreover, frail older individuals had significantly poorer oral function than prefrail and robust individuals. The risk of frailty was associated with lower occlusal force, masseter muscle thickness, and ODK rate.

Keywords: aging; cross-sectional analysis; frail; oral function; teeth.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Age Factors
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Aging
Bite Force*
Cross-Sectional Studies
Dentition*
Depression / epidemiology
Diabetes Mellitus / epidemiology
Female
Frail Elderly*
Geriatric Assessment
Humans
Japan / epidemiology
Male
Masseter Muscle / diagnostic imaging*
Mental Status Schedule
Multivariate Analysis
Serum Albumin
Speech*
Triglycerides / blood

Substances

Serum Albumin
Triglycerides