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. 2025 Apr 18;37(1):128.
doi: 10.1007/s40520-025-03032-5.

Association between tooth loss and geriatric syndromes in older adults: a cohort study from a rural area in eastern China

Caihong He  1 , Yihan Wang  1 , Chengfan Qin  1 , Nan Hua  1 , Yichen Yang  1 , Jing Chen #  2   3   4 , Qin Zhang #  5   6   7
Affiliations

Association between tooth loss and geriatric syndromes in older adults: a cohort study from a rural area in eastern China

Caihong He et al. Aging Clin Exp Res. .

Abstract

Background: Tooth loss was linked to health status, with substantial implications for malnutrition and chronic inflammation risks in older adults, especially among vulnerable groups. This study aimed to explore the associations between tooth loss severity, denture status, and geriatric syndromes.

Methods: In 2019, 1094 participants were recruited and subjected to face-to-face interview to assess tooth loss severity, along with grip strength and body composition. In 2023, a follow-up was conducted with a subsample of the participants. Logistic regression analysis was utilized to explore the association between tooth loss severity at baseline and geriatric syndromes (sarcopenia, malnutrition risk, frailty, fall) at fourth year follow-up, as well as association between denture status and geriatric syndromes.

Results: The multivariate analyses showed that having tooth loss affecting daily life at baseline was associated with a 1.80-fold higher prevalence of sarcopenia and 2.31-fold higher prevalence of malnutrition risk after four years. Participants with fewer than 10 teeth had significantly higher odds of geriatric syndromes compared to those with 21 or more teeth: 1.87-fold for sarcopenia (95% CI: 1.07 to 3.26), 2.99-fold for malnutrition risk (95% CI: 1.93 to 4.62), and 1.68-fold for frailty (95% CI: 1.10 to 2.56). Older adults with tooth loss who did not have dentures exhibited a significantly higher odds of sarcopenia, malnutrition risk, frailty, and falls, more number of geriatric syndromes.

Conclusion: Higher severity level of tooth loss at baseline were associated with higher odds of geriatric syndromes at fourth year in older adults. Dentures partially mitigate the association between tooth loss and the higher odds of geriatric syndromes. Screening and intervening oral health is important for the prevention of geriatric syndromes in older adults.

Clinical trial number: Not applicable.

Keywords: Falls; Frailty; Geriatric syndromes; Malnutrition risk; Sarcopenia; Tooth loss.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University Medical College (Reference Number: 20191276). All participants were fully informed about the study protocol and provided written informed consent before participating in the study. Participants who were illiterate had their fingerprints taken under the supervision of Doumen Community Health Center staff or family members. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Disclosure statement: All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form. The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare. Sponsor’s role: Writing of this article did not involve the sponsor. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

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