While severe deterioration of oral health is closely linked to cognitive dysfunction, the correlation does not necessarily mean there is a causal link, a study led by a research team at National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University’s Department of Dentistry said.
More than 300,000 people in Taiwan have dementia, with 96 percent over the age of 65, Ministry of Health and Welfare data showed.
Dementia is an umbrella term for a variety of diseases, rather than an aging phenomenon, with Alzheimer’s a well-known form. In addition to memory loss, dementia can also affect cognitive functions, personality and behavior.
Photo: Taipei Times
“Oral-cognitive links” have been widely researched, but the associations between deteriorating oral health and the risks of dementia remain unclear, the study said.
A systematic review of 28 research papers on oral-cognitive links published in the past five years showed that most focused on the relationship that periodontal diseases and the oral microbiome have with Alzheimer’s disease, it said.
Abundant evidence supports the idea that serious oral health problems, such as severe periodontal disease and extensive tooth loss, are strongly correlated with cognitive dysfunction, it said.
However, Lin Chia-shu (林嘉澍), a professor in the department, said that there are wide discrepancies in the relationship between oral health and cognitive dysfunction, adding that the strong correlation does not necessarily mean causation.
For example, while tooth loss is related to dementia, wearing dentures does not necessarily prevent dementia and chewing more does not necessarily enhance cognitive function, Lin said.
The oral-cognitive links do not support the conclusion that regular teeth brushing can prevent dementia, he said, adding that further research would be required to establish such a claim.
No strong evidence has been presented to show that good oral health can prevent early-onset or mild dementia, he said.
The causal relationship might even be the reverse, he said.
As dementia progresses, people might develop serious oral problems as they lose the ability to care for themselves, including brushing their teeth and rinsing their mouth, Lin said.
Many people misunderstand the relationship between oral health and cognitive function, he said, adding that more attention should be paid to the issue while taking care of elderly people.
The study was published in this month’s edition of the Ageing Research Reviews journal.
Collaborators on the study include physician Chen Ta-chung (陳大中) in Taipei Veterans General Hospital’s Department of Stomatology; Fuh Jong-ling (傅中玲), director of National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University’s Department of Neurology; the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm; and the University of Amsterdam’s Academic Center for Dentistry.
Taiwan is to receive the first batch of Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 jets from the US late this month, a defense official said yesterday, after a year-long delay due to a logjam in US arms deliveries. Completing the NT$247.2 billion (US$7.69 billion) arms deal for 66 jets would make Taiwan the third nation in the world to receive factory-fresh advanced fighter jets of the same make and model, following Bahrain and Slovakia, the official said on condition of anonymity. F-16 Block 70/72 are newly manufactured F-16 jets built by Lockheed Martin to the standards of the F-16V upgrade package. Republic of China
Taiwan-Japan Travel Passes are available for use on public transit networks in the two countries, Taoyuan Metro Corp said yesterday, adding that discounts of up to 7 percent are available. Taoyuan Metro, the Taipei MRT and Japan’s Keisei Electric Railway teamed up to develop the pass. Taoyuan Metro operates the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport MRT Line, while Keisei Electric Railway offers express services between Tokyo’s Narita Airport, and the Keisei Ueno and Nippori stations in the Japanese capital, as well as between Narita and Haneda airports. The basic package comprises one one-way ticket on the Taoyuan MRT Line and one Skyliner ticket on
Many Japanese couples are coming to Taiwan to obtain donated sperm or eggs for fertility treatment due to conservatism in their home country, Taiwan’s high standards and low costs, doctors said. One in every six couples in Japan is receiving infertility treatment, Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare data show. About 70,000 children are born in Japan every year through in vitro fertilization (IVF), or about one in every 11 children born. Few people accept donated reproductive cells in Japan due to a lack of clear regulations, leaving treatment in a “gray zone,” Taichung Nuwa Fertility Center medical director Wang Huai-ling (王懷麟)
A pro-Russia hacker group has launched a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack on the Taiwanese government in retaliation for President William Lai’s (賴清德) comments suggesting that China should have a territorial dispute with Russia, an information security company said today. The hacker group, NoName057, recently launched an HTTPs flood attack called “DDoSia” targeting Taiwanese government and financial units, Radware told the Liberty Times (sister paper of the Taipei Times). Local tax bureaus in New Taipei City, Keelung, Hsinchu and Taoyuan were mentioned by the hackers. Only the Hsinchu Local Tax Bureau site appeared to be down earlier in the day, but was back
RSS