Chewing Disorders Are Linked To Cognitive Problems In Elderly

For the last two decades, the problems of healthy aging and aging with dignity have become the focus of many scientific works and studies since the number of aging people suffering from various cognitive problems and mental disorders had been firmly increasing. Millions of elderly people around the world suffer from Alzhimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, vascular dementia, DLB, and other types of dementia like brain disorders. Unfortunately, for the moment there is no known cure for cognitive problems and mental disorders like that, and there are only a few medications or treatment options to slow down the development of the disease and relieve its symptoms. Those who could come across or had to deal with the elderly people suffering from mental disorders and cognitive impairment know very well how hard and stressful it always is, both for the patients and for those who have to look after them.

A great deal of scientific researches is currently being conducted in order to get more clues about the mentioned diseases, find out more about their causes and risk factors, as well as possibly get an idea about the most effective ways for preventing and treating dementia like brain disorders. In particular, it was recently reported that there are new approaches can be used for making Parkinson’s disease diagnosis. Also, studies have found that drinking 3 cups of coffee a day and switching to the Mediterranean diet plan can be great ways to prevent Alzheimer’s disease and other types of cognitive problems. According to the findings reported recently the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, it is possible to predict the development of dementia like brain disorders and estimate the risk  of cognitive problems in elderly by looking at the fact how well the patient chews the foods.

The scientists the Karolinska Institute and Karlstad University suggest that there are strong links between chewing disorders and cognitive problems in modern elderly. These findings were received after analyzing the data on 557 people of Swedish origin, all aged over 77. The experiment included measuring mental and cognitive abilities of the participants (by using the Mini-Mental State Examination), as well as assessing chewing abilities and dental health of the participants. In particular, a special attention was focused on the fact how the participants were chewing hard foods like apples, carrots, and others, and it was found out that chewing disorders in the elderly can be considered as a warning sign of elevated risk for cognitive impairment, memory problems, mental disorders, and other kinds of conditions linked to dementia like brain disorders.

Further look at the data gave the scientists the idea that such factors as tooth loss can also be playing a role in the observed relationships between chewing abilities and cognitive problems. However, further research has ruled out the importance of the factor of tooth loss, along with other factors like education level, other mental illnesses and brain disorders, current age of the patients, their gender, and so on. “Whether elderly persons chew with natural teeth or prostheses may not contribute significantly to cognitive impairment as long as they have no chewing difficulty,” the authors of the study wrote in the report. “The results add to the evidence of the association between chewing ability and cognitive impairment in elderly persons,” it is stated in the report published this month.

To see more detailed information about the study and the findings of Swedish specialists, you can go to here. It is interesting that a few years ago the results of another related study were published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. According to that report, a group of scientists from the University of California found out that there are strong connection between daily dental care efforts of the elderly and their risk for cognitive problems. In particular, the researchers came to the conclusion that those elderly people who fail brushing their teeth at least once a day have up to 65 percent higher risk for developing dementia-like brain disorders compared to those who are brushing their teeth at least once a day. It was also found out that the links between improper dental care and elevated risk of cognitive problems are stronger in women than in men, with almost 22 percent difference.

Author Info: Hi! My name is Carla and I am a 5th year medical student at HYMS. I am interested in alternative medicine and I have done months researching the topic of herbal medicine. Besides, I like interviewing people and learning more about their experiences with one or another type of herbal treatments. I am willing to contribute to this site with my knowledge, and I would be happy to help you out to the best of my ability with any specific questions or problems related to alternative medicine.

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