There's an association between chronic kidney disease (CKD) and increased tooth loss in post-menopausal women, particularly those aged 66-79, according to a South Korean study in the journal Menopause.
Their study analysed data from 8 887 post-menopausal women aged between 40 and 79, participating in the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2010 to 2018.
Medscape reports that participants were categorised based on the number of permanent teeth present, with tooth loss defined as having < 20 teeth.
CKD was identified using the estimated glomerular filtration rate, calculated by the CKD-EPI 2021 creatinine equation.
The research team, led by Na-Yeong Kim, MS, Chonnam National University School of Dentistry, found that post-menopausal women with CKD have a higher likelihood of experiencing tooth loss, especially if they are between the ages of 66 and 79, and highlighted the importance of monitoring oral health in women with CKD to potentially mitigate tooth loss.
The authors wrote, “Our findings suggest that preventing and managing mineral and bone metabolism disorders in post-menopausal women with CKD are crucial to prevent tooth loss,” adding that further research was needed to explore the underlying mechanisms linking the two in this demographic.
Limitations
The cross-sectional design limited the ability to establish causality between CKD and tooth loss. Self-reported data on menstruation and menopause status may have introduced recall bias, and the findings may not be generalisable to populations outside South Korea, the authors pointed out.
The study was published online in Menopause: The Journal of The North American Menopause Society.
Study details
Chronic kidney disease in post-menopausal women is associated with tooth loss
Kim, Na-Yeong, Kim, Ji-Eun, Choi, Choong-Ho,; Chung, Ki-Ho.
Published in Menopause on 11 June 2024
Abstract
Objective
Menopause is characterised by changes in reproductive hormone levels that can negatively affect bone. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) and tooth loss are also important and common health issues after menopause. This study aimed to evaluate the association between CKD and tooth loss in post-menopausal women.
Methods
The study evaluated 64,971 participants who participated in the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) from 2010-2018, including post-menopausal women, aged 40 to 79 years. Participants were divided into two groups based on the number of teeth in their dentition (≥20 and <20).
Main Outcome Measures
The association between CKD and tooth loss was analysed using multivariate logistic regression. Age, income, education, smoking, alcohol intake, body mass index, hypertension, diabetes, annual oral examination, toothbrushing, and the use of oral care products were considered. Subgroup analyses were further conducted according to age (40-65 yr and 66-79 yr).
Results
After adjusting for covariates, CKD and estimated glomerular filtration rate were significantly associated with having ≥20 teeth (PT20; CKD: odds ratio [OR] 1.41, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.04-1.90; estimated glomerular filtration rate (10 mL/min/1.73 m2): OR 0.90, 95% CI 0.86-0.94). Importantly, the association between CKD and PT20 was significant in post-menopausal women, aged 66 to 79 years (OR 1.45, 95% CI 1.05-2.01).
Conclusions
In post-menopausal women, CKD and tooth loss may be associated. The association is significant those aged 66 to 79 years.
Medscape article – Chronic Kidney Disease and Tooth Loss After Menopause (Open access)
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