Periodontitis Associated With Respiratory Disease Mortality In Older Patients

MDLinx reports that researchers found periodontitis is associated with total respiratory disease mortality in a retrospective cohort study involving “1,385 patients aged 75 years and above who had a radiographic examination in the largest dental hospital in Shanghai, China, between January 2010 and December 2014.” The findings were published in Experimental …

Tooth Loss May Increase Risk Of Cognitive Impairment, Dementia

DrBicuspid  reports a new meta-analysis suggests that “tooth loss is a risk factor for cognitive impairment and dementia,” and “the risk of cognitive decline increases with each lost tooth.” Using “14 individual studies with 34,074 adults and 4,689 cases of diminished cognitive function,” the researchers found that “older adults with more …

Poor Quality Of Sleep In Women May Be Tied To Increased Consumption Of Added Sugars, Saturated Fats, And Caffeine, Research Suggests

CNN reports that people who find themselves “eating too much added sugar and unhealthy fats” may not be “getting enough sleep,” researchers concluded after examining “the associations between measures of sleep quality and the dietary patterns of nearly 500 women who participated in the AHA Go Red for Women program.” The …

Study: Gum Bacteria Imbalance Associated With Alzheimer’s Disease Biomarker

Dentistry Today reports researchers at the New York University College of Dentistry and Weill Cornell Medicine have found that “older adults with more harmful than healthy bacteria in their gums are more likely to have evidence for amyloid beta, which is a key biomarker for Alzheimer’s disease, in their cerebrospinal …

Lead Apron Use During Imaging Exams May Be Unnecessary, Some Radiologists Say

Kaiser Health News (1/15, Jaklevic) discusses the use of lead aprons to cover “reproductive organs and fetuses during imaging exams,” stating that “new thinking among radiologists and medical physicists is upending the decades-old practice.” The article says the aprons have been used based on the idea that they shield patients …