# Elucidating the Link Between Oral Health and Dementia Subtypes: A Multifaceted Study on the Biological Pathways and Social Determinants

> **NIH NIH R01** · NEW YORK UNIVERSITY · 2024 · $819,054

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
As the U.S. population ages, the number of individuals living with dementia is rapidly increasing, making the
identification of modifiable risk factors more urgent than ever. Recent research, including our own studies,
suggests a significant association between poor oral health, such as periodontitis and tooth loss, and an
increased risk of developing dementia. However, the specifics of how poor oral health influences dementia,
particularly its association with two different subtypes of dementia, like Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and vascular
dementia (VaD), remain largely unexplored. The systemic inflammatory responses caused by periodontal
diseases will lead to the formation of amyloid-beta peptides (Aβ) and intraneuronal neurofibrillary tangles,
contributing to the progression of AD. Our prior study also found subgingival periodontal bacteria at both genera
and species levels is associated with reduced cerebrospinal fluid Aβ-42. However, the biological mechanisms
underpinning the relationship between oral health and different subtypes of dementia are understudied. It is also
unknow how social determinants of health (SDoH) impact the link between oral health and dementia. Our study
aims to address these knowledge gaps by analyzing multiple extensive population-based datasets, including
National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1988-2018) and Health and Retirement Study (2006-2020),
both linked to Medicare claims data (available up to 2021), Baltimore Longitudinal Study on Aging (2004-2021),
UK Biobank (UKB, 2006-2021), and Genome-Wide Association Study datasets (i.e., UKB, FinnGen Biobank,
and MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit). These datasets offer a comprehensive view, encompassing large,
diverse racial/ethnic samples, and providing unique insights into the association between oral health and
dementia. Our specific aims include Aim 1: Establish the relationship between poor oral health and clinical
biomarkers of dementia (Aβ, tau proteins, and brain atrophy) and AD or VaD. We hypothesize that poor oral
health will be associated with the presence of clinical biomarkers of dementia and incident AD or VaD. Aim 2:
Test the three hypothetical biological pathways (i.e., systemic inflammation, accelerated biological aging, and
dysbiotic oral microbiome) linking oral health with AD and VaD. We hypothesize that systemic inflammation and
accelerated biological aging will mediate the association between poor oral health and incident AD or VaD. We
will conduct exploratory analyses of the links among poor oral health, dysbiotic oral microbiome, and AD/VaD.
Aim 3: Determine potential moderators that can influence the relationships of poor oral health with AD and VaD.
Key SDoH will be included as moderators. We hypothesize that females, racial/ethnic minoritized older adults,
and those with lower social support and higher social isolation, residing in impoverished areas, would face higher
AD/VaD risks with poor oral health expos...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10991963
- **Project number:** 1R01AG089856-01
- **Recipient organization:** NEW YORK UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Huabin Luo
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $819,054
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-08-15 → 2029-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10991963

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10991963, Elucidating the Link Between Oral Health and Dementia Subtypes: A Multifaceted Study on the Biological Pathways and Social Determinants (1R01AG089856-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-12 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10991963. Licensed CC0.

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