Folate mediates cognitive impairment of aged people with periodontitis.

Background: Periodontitis is associated with poorer cognitive function. It remains unclear whether folate plays a crucial role in periodontitis-promoted cognitive impairment (CI) in the elderly population.

Methods: Data for this cross-sectional population-based study were obtained from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), 2011-2014 database. Associations between periodontitis and cognitive scores, exogenous folate (dietary intake folate equivalents and dietary supplement folate), and endogenous folate (folate from serum and red blood cells) levels were estimated by propensity score weighted regression models. Natural effect models were applied to estimate the mediation effect of folate for the periodontitis-cognition relationship.

Results: Out of the 1966 participants, 869 (44.2%) had periodontitis. The periodontitis group has lower cognitive scores and dietary supplement, serum total, and RBC folate levels. The mediation effect of dietary supplement folate for the periodontitis-general cognition score association was significant, with mediation proportions of 8.4%. The mediation effects of serum total folate and RBC folate for periodontitis-general cognition score were both significant, with mediation proportions of 9.1%. Notably, periodontitis cases with dietary supplement folate or high dietary intake folate had significantly higher general cognition scores than those of periodontitis cases without dietary supplement folate or with low dietary intake folate.

Conclusions: Dietary folate supplementation may serve as a modifiable strategy to slow periodontitis-related cognitive decline in older adults, with serum and RBC levels functioning as key biomarkers of its potential effect.