Investigation of elderly peoples objective assessment stress effected by oral health, Investigation the relationship of oral health, appetite, and malnutrition using structural equation modelling in the elderly person, Studies on the synergetic effect of dietary counseling and oral health care for dementia prevention, Studies on gene-environment interactions in oral health (Preventive Dentistry, Public Health Dentistry, epidemiology, public health)
Book / Paper
Academic Paper (Judged Full Paper):
1.
Mikari Asakawa, Shinya Kageyama, Heba Shehta Said, Jiale Ma, Shino Suma, Michiko Furuta and Toru Takeshita : Association of oral fungal profiles with health status and bacterial composition in elderly adults receiving community support and home care service, Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 90, 8, e0085724, 2024.
(Summary)
Fungi compose a minority but a common component of normal oral microbiota and contribute to oral and systemic health by interacting with bacterial inhabitants. This study investigated the relationship of oral fungal profiles to health status and bacterial profiles of 159 elderly adults receiving community support and home care services. Fungal and bacterial densities and compositions were determined based on the fungal ribosomal internal transcribed spacer region and bacterial 16S rRNA gene amplicon analyses, respectively. The total fungal density of 87 individuals exceeded 5,000 copies, and their microbiota was characterized by significantly less dense bacterial populations and lower relative abundances of oral health-associated taxa, such as Neisseria perflava and Porphyromonas pasteri, compared with those with less than 5,000 copies of fungi. These individuals were significantly older, had fewer teeth, had lower physical function, and comprised more denture users and individuals with cognitive decline. Fungal compositions were classified into three profiles (Candida albicans-dominant, non-albicans Candida-dominant, and non-Candida-dominant), and individuals with a non-albicans Candida-dominant profile exhibited significantly lower physical and cognitive function than those with the Candida albicans-dominant profile. These results demonstrate that a high-density fungal population co-occurs with poor oral and systemic health status of the host and dysbiosis of the bacterial community, and particularly, the overgrowth of non-albicans Candida species may be implicated in worsening systemic conditions. The interaction between fungal and bacterial components involved in the virulence of oral microbiota has received attention. This study demonstrates that an increase in fungal components is associated with a dysbiotic bacterial community and poor health status in elderly adults. Among individuals with a high-density fungal population, particularly, those with a non-albicans Candida-dominant profile had lower physical and cognitive functions than those with a C. albicans-dominant profile. These findings indicate that the evaluation of fungal components, in addition to the bacterial components, is important to understand the involvement of oral microbiota in oral and systemic diseases in elderly adults.
(Keyword)
Humans / Aged / Female / Male / Aged, 80 and over / Bacteria / Microbiota / Fungi / Mouth / Health Status / Home Care Services / RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Oral Health
Subaru Inoue, Shino Suma, Michiko Furuta, Naohisa Wada and Yoshihisa Yamashita : Possible association between oral health status and appetite loss in community-dwelling older adults, Nursing & Health Sciences, 26, 1, e13111, 2024.
(Summary)
This study aimed to evaluate the association between the oral health status and appetite in community-dwelling older adults. We enrolled 100 people aged ≥65 years who had participated in long-term care prevention projects between December 2018 and January 2019. Appetite was assessed using the Council on Nutrition Appetite Questionnaire score. The oral health status was assessed based on the number of teeth, occlusal condition, swallowing function, tongue coating, and the Oral Health Assessment Tool. A multiple linear regression analysis was performed with appetite as the dependent variable and each variable related to oral health status as an independent variable. The analysis was adjusted for sex, age, activities of daily living, cognitive function, smoking habit, and alcohol consumption. Dental pain was associated with poor appetite in community-dwelling older adults. No other oral health status parameter was associated with appetite. Thus, controlling dental pain is critical to prevent appetite loss while considering other factors.
(Keyword)
Humans / Aged / Independent Living / Oral Health / Appetite / Activities of Daily Living / Pain