Key Bacterial Taxa Differences Associated with Polypharmacy in Elderly Patients.

Area of Science:

• Oral microbiology
• Geriatric medicine
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Aging and polypharmacy significantly impact health and well-being.
• Polypharmacy is common in older adults, increasing the need for multiple medications.
• While the gut microbiome's response to aging and polypharmacy is studied, the oral microbiome's role remains less understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of polypharmacy on the oral microbiome in older adults.
• To identify specific bacterial taxa associated with polypharmacy in the elderly population.
• To explore the potential link between oral microbiome shifts and oral/systemic diseases.

Main Methods:

• Saliva samples from 55 individuals with stage 3 periodontal disease were analyzed using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing.
• Statistical analysis identified bacterial taxa associated with polypharmacy, controlling for dental decay, tobacco use, and gender.
• A validation set of older adults with stage 3 periodontal disease and controlled caries confirmed key findings.

Main Results:

• Polypharmacy was associated with a decrease in the oral commensal Corynebacterium durum.
• Polypharmacy was linked to an increase in the dental decay-associated Propionibacterium acidifaciens.
• These microbial shifts were independent of saliva flow rate and associated with caries and gender.

Conclusions:

• Polypharmacy significantly alters the oral microbiome composition in the elderly.
• Specific bacterial changes, like reduced C. durum and increased P. acidifaciens, are potential indicators of polypharmacy's oral health impact.
• These findings highlight the oral microbiome as a potential contributor to disease in older adults with polypharmacy and poor oral health.