Metabolic syndrome and masticatory hypofunction: a cross-sectional study.

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Public Health
• Dental Medicine

Background:

• Abdominal obesity (AO), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), and metabolic syndrome (MetS) are significant health concerns in aging populations.
• Masticatory capacity (MC), often assessed by total functional tooth units (t-FTU), plays a crucial role in overall health and nutrition.
• Understanding the interplay between oral health and metabolic conditions is vital for preventative strategies in older adults.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of AO, WHtR, and MetS in older Spanish adults.
• To investigate the relationship between masticatory capacity (t-FTU) and these metabolic health indicators.
• To identify risk factors associated with these conditions in the studied population.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 544 Spanish adults aged 50 and over.
• Data collection included anthropometric measurements, clinical variables, and assessment of total functional tooth units (t-FTU).
• Statistical analyses employed univariate and multivariate binary and multinomial logistic regression.

Main Results:

• Masticatory capacity was poor in 60.3% of the sample, good in 17.6%, and complete in 22.1%.
• Odds ratios for MetS and AO increased with decreased MC and increased age.
• Poor MC was significantly associated with higher risks of morbid obesity and MetS, particularly in women.

Conclusions:

• Masticatory hypofunctionality may be associated with the presence of metabolic syndrome.
• The number of total functional tooth units (t-FTU) is directly related to abdominal obesity.
• Maintaining adequate masticatory capacity is important for metabolic health in older adults.