ArticleThe journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences2026
Associations of unmet dental care needs due to cost with incident cardiovascular disease and dementia: a prospective study in the All of Us cohort.
Article in The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
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Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- Edentulism, blood-based neurodegenerative biomarkers, and 10-year dementia risk: A mediation analysis in a nationally representative United States cohort.Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association · 2026Article
- Red Complex Pathogens, Periodontal Dysbiosis and Periodontal Therapy in Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Review
- Examining the association of social needs with dental utilization.Frontiers in oral health · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundPoor oral health among older adults may contribute to cardiovascular and dementia risk via systemic inflammation and cardiometabolic comorbidities. Financial constraints are a major driver of unmet dental care needs for older individuals. This study investigates whether having dental care needs that were unmet due to cost is associated with subsequent incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) or dementia among adults aged 55 and older.
methodsParticipants in the All of Us cohort (N = 98 787) who responded to a survey question on dental care needs that were unmet due to cost were followed up to 5.3 years via electronic health records for onset of myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, heart failure (HF), or dementia. We estimated outcome-specific hazard ratios (HRs), using Cox proportional-hazards models, adjusting for demographic, behavioral, and clinical covariates.
resultsAfter adjustment for demographic factors, individuals who reported unmet dental needs due to cost had relatively higher incidence of HF (HR = 1.45; 95% CI, 1.30-1.63), MI (HR = 1.37; 95% CI, 1.17-1.61), stroke (HR = 1.45; 95% CI, 1.24-1.70), and dementia (HR = 1.37; 95% CI, 1.05-1.76). These associations were attenuated after further adjusting for socioeconomic, behavioral, and clinical factors. We did not observe differences by gender, racial and ethnic identity, or periodontitis diagnosis. The estimated population attributable fraction suggested that eliminating financial barriers to dental care could prevent 2%-4% of each outcome among older adults.
conclusionFinancial barriers to dental care may be an important determinant of CVD and dementia among aging populations.
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