Periodontitis and all-cause mortality in 60- and 66-year-old individuals: a 23-year prospective cohort study

The present study aimed to investigate the association between baseline moderate-to-severe periodontitis and all-cause mortality over a 23-year follow-up among individuals aged 60 and 66 years.

This longitudinal study was based on data from the Swedish National Study on Aging and Care in Karlskrona, Blekinge, Sweden. A total of 340 participants aged 60 and 66 years old at baseline (2001-2003) who underwent periodontal and radiographic examination were included. Baseline data on age, sex, number of medications, smoking status, cash margin, and education were collected.

At baseline, 16.2% of participants had moderate-to-severe periodontitis. During the 23-year follow-up, 52.7% of participants with moderate-to-severe periodontitis died. In the adjusted survival analysis, moderate-to-severe periodontitis was associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality (hazard ratio = 1.56; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.00-2.44, p = 0.050).

Over 23-year follow-up, baseline moderate-to-severe periodontitis was associated with a higher risk of all-cause mortality among individuals aged 60 and 66 years. However, although the association was statistically significant, any sex-specific findings should be considered exploratory due to the limited number of events and the resulting wide CIs.