In general, the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MS) and tooth loss increases with age. We investigated the relationship between the presence of MS, its elements, and tooth loss in middle-aged Korean adults.
This study included Korean adults between 30 and 64 years of age who resided in the capital area of Seoul. From January to June 2014, individuals interested in participating in the oral health survey among those who visited the university hospital's cardiovascular center and provided informed consent were selected. Among 748 subjects who responded to the oral health questionnaires, 30 were excluded due to unclear responses; therefore, a total of 718 were included in the final analysis.
The crude odds ratio (OR) of ≥one MS component affecting tooth loss was 1.45 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.06–2.00]. After adjusting for sex, age, education, income level, occupation, smoking status, kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and rheumatic disease, the adjusted OR was 1.47 (95% CI, 1.06–2.05), which was statistically significant ( p<0.05). The OR for tooth loss was higher in the presence of ≥one component of MS (50–64 years of age) in females.