Association between oral health and sarcopenia: A literature review.

Purpose Sarcopenia has recently been attracting attention as an early sign of the need for nursing care in older adults. Some studies have reported that is related to and its diagnostic factors (hand grip strength, speed, and muscle mass). However, the relationship between and remains poorly investigated and no review to date has compiled the available research on this relationship. The aim of this review was to summarize the current evidence describing the association between and sarcopenia. Study selection The internet database PubMed was searched using various combinations of related and synonymous keywords for or dental or oral health or oral function and sarcopenia or walking speed or hand grip strength or skeletal muscle mass. A total of 27 studies found to be eligible were critically evaluated and their key findings were summarized. Results Most of the studies were cross-sectional and conducted in Japan. A wide range of factors, including number of teeth, occlusal support, periodontal state, occlusal force, mastication, tongue pressure, and swallowing, were covered. The overall findings were that indices could be significantly associated with and its diagnostic factors. Conclusions Relationships may exist between aspects of and or its diagnostic factors. However, reports showing associations between and are scarce, and definitive conclusions could not be drawn. Further longitudinal studies are necessary to confirm these relationships.