Takeaway
- Cognitive decline in early Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is linked to periodontitis, independent of baseline cognition.
Study design
- 60 community residents (mean 77.7±8.6 years; 51% men) with mild/moderate AD underwent cognitive, dental, and blood testing at baseline and at 6 months (n=52).
Key results
- Baseline periodontitis (in 37.3%), diagnosed by a dental hygienist blinded to cognitive outcomes, was associated with a sixfold increase in rate of cognitive decline on the ADAS-cog and with increase in blood pro-inflammatory markers over 6 months, but not with baseline ADAS-cog.