Are deteriorated oral hygiene and decreased sensitivity to salt associated with early arterial stiffness?

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K19660
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 58:Society medicine, nursing, and related fields
• Research Institution: Nagoya City University
• Principal Investigator: Ito Yuki 名古屋市立大学, 医薬学総合研究院(医学), 准教授 (80452192)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-07-09 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 動脈硬化 / 口腔衛生不良 / 味覚低下

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Recently, a decrease in taste sensitivity in Japanese children has been reported. In addition, poor oral hygiene in childhood has been suggested to be associated with an increased risk of atherosclerosis in adolescence. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the relationship between oral hygiene conditions such as tongue coating, taste, and salt intake and early atherosclerosis, adjusted for other risk factors. Of the participants in the Aichi Regional Center of the JECS Sub-Cohort Study, 201 were included in the present study as a complete case analysis with written informed consent to participate in. An association was found between maximum pocket depth of 4 mm or greater and elevated blood pressure, but no association was found with early arterial stiffness index. There was also no association between reduced salt sensitivity and elevated blood pressure or early arterial stiffness index.

Free Research Field

衛生学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

動脈硬化は生後すぐに始まり10歳前後に加速するため、小児期の早期動脈硬化評価と早期介入が必要である。本研究では、早期動脈硬化指標と口腔衛生不良や塩味感受性の低下との間に関連は見られなかったが、口腔衛生不良と高値血圧、母の塩味感受性の低下と児の食塩摂取量の間に正の関連が認められた。小児期は味覚の形成が完成する時期とされる。今回尿から推定した食塩摂取量や口腔衛生状況等を参加者の方に返却し、生活習慣の改善について啓蒙した。2年後に再度早期動脈硬化指標の測定を行い、その効果を検証したい。