Oral health-related factors are associated with sarcopenia in middle-aged and older adults

This cross-sectional study analyzed the relationship between oral health-related factors and sarcopenia in 3729 middle-aged and older adults. Oral health-related factors were assessed using three indicators: toothbrushing habit, chewing ability, and the number of natural teeth. Participants were classified as having an inadequate toothbrushing habit if they brushed their teeth fewer than twice per day; poor chewing ability if they reported that chewing was "uncomfortable" or "very uncomfortable"; and inadequate natural teeth if they had fewer than 20. Sarcopenia was diagnosed on the basis of appendicular skeletal muscle mass index (males <7.0 kg/m² and females <5.7 kg/m²) and handgrip strength (males <28 kg and females <18 kg) according to the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia. The results showed that participants with inadequate toothbrushing habit, poor chewing ability, and inadequate natural teeth had 1.38-, 1.39-, and 1.36-times higher odds of sarcopenia, respectively. These findings suggest that oral health-related factors are associated with sarcopenia in middle-aged and older adults.