The association between the number of teeth and frailty among older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis

IF 3.4 3区医学 Q2 GERIATRICS & GERONTOLOGY

Aging Clinical and Experimental Research Pub Date : 2025-05-16 DOI:10.1007/s40520-025-03053-0

Xiao-Ming Zhang, Simin Cao, Liting Teng, Xiaohua Xie, Xinjuan Wu

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background

Tooth loss is common among the elderly and often correlates with aging. Existing studies on the link between tooth loss and frailty in older adults yield inconsistent results. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to clarify the relationship.

Methods

A comprehensive search of PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane Library was conducted to find observational studies on tooth count and frailty in older adults. Study quality was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale. Heterogeneity was evaluated using Cochran’s Q and I² statistics, and subgroup analyses identified factors influencing outcomes. Publication bias and sensitivity analysis confirmed result stability.

Results

From 1,903 articles, 22 comprising 25 studies with 36,406 participants were included. The meta-analysis showed a pooled odds ratio (OR) of 0.98 (95% CI: 0.97 − 0.99) for tooth count and frailty. Individuals with 20 or fewer teeth had a higher risk of frailty (pooled OR = 1.99, 95% CI: 1.57 − 2.53). The highest frailty risk was observed in Japan (pooled OR = 3.02), followed by China (2.27), the UK and USA (1.90), and other regions (1.25). Subgroup analyses revealed no significant differences by country, study design, setting, adjustment model, or frailty assessment tool (P > 0.05).

Conclusions

There is a significant association between tooth count and frailty, particularly in those with 20 or fewer teeth. Policymakers should prioritize oral health within aging populations by promoting early preventive care and education to mitigate frailty risk. Robust, large-scale studies are needed to guide evidence-based interventions and public health policy.

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老年人牙齿数量与虚弱之间的关系：一项系统回顾和荟萃分析

背景牙齿脱落在老年人中很常见，通常与衰老有关。现有的关于老年人牙齿脱落和身体虚弱之间关系的研究得出了不一致的结果。本系统综述和荟萃分析旨在阐明两者之间的关系。方法综合检索PubMed、Web of Science、Embase和Cochrane图书馆，查找老年人牙齿数量与衰弱的观察性研究。使用纽卡斯尔-渥太华量表评估研究质量。采用Cochran 's Q和I²统计评估异质性，并通过亚组分析确定影响结果的因素。发表偏倚和敏感性分析证实了结果的稳定性。结果从1903篇文章中纳入了22篇，包括25项研究，36406名参与者。荟萃分析显示，牙齿数量和虚弱的合并优势比（OR）为0.98 （95% CI: 0.97 - 0.99）。拥有20颗或更少牙齿的人有更高的脆弱风险（合并or = 1.99, 95% CI: 1.57−2.53）。脆弱风险最高的是日本（合计OR = 3.02），其次是中国（2.27）、英国和美国（1.90）以及其他地区（1.25）。亚组分析显示，国家、研究设计、环境、调整模型或脆弱性评估工具之间没有显著差异（P > 0.05）。结论：牙齿数量和身体虚弱之间存在显著的联系，特别是对于那些牙齿少于20颗的人。决策者应通过促进早期预防保健和教育以减轻脆弱风险，优先考虑老龄化人群的口腔健康。需要进行强有力的大规模研究，以指导基于证据的干预措施和公共卫生政策。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Aging Clinical and Experimental Research 医学-老年医学

CiteScore

7.90

自引率

5.00%

发文量

283

审稿时长

1 months

期刊介绍： Aging clinical and experimental research offers a multidisciplinary forum on the progressing field of gerontology and geriatrics. The areas covered by the journal include: biogerontology, neurosciences, epidemiology, clinical gerontology and geriatric assessment, social, economical and behavioral gerontology. “Aging clinical and experimental research” appears bimonthly and publishes review articles, original papers and case reports.