Oral microbial diversity may be linked to survival

Summarised from:

Association of Oral Microbiome Diversity and All-Cause Mortality in the General US Population and in Individuals With Chronic Diseases: A Prospective Cohort Study
(Journal of Clinical Periodontology; doi: 10.1111/jcpe.14056)

Authors:

Zhiwen Yang, Fengling He, Haoxiang Huang, Junyang Xu, Yifei Ruan, Kai Cui, HuiLei Zhou, Yijin Chen, Dan Liu, Zhiwen Xiao, Feng Chen, Yulin Liao, Jianping Bin, Yanmei Chen

Summarised by:

Dr Varkha Rattu

Research Topic:

Background + Aims

The oral microbiome contributes to oral health and may influence systemic inflammation and chronic disease. However, its relationship with long-term survival remains incompletely understood.
This study aimed to:
- Investigate associations between oral microbiome diversity and all-cause mortality in US adults, including those with chronic diseases.

Materials + Methods

Prospective analysis of 8,224 adults from NHANES 2009–2012, linked to mortality records through December 2019.
Oral rinse samples underwent 16S rRNA gene sequencing to characterise bacterial communities.
Researchers assessed α-diversity, describing richness and distribution within each sample, and β-diversity, describing differences between participants’ microbial communities.
Survey-weighted Cox regression adjusted for demographic characteristics, lifestyle factors, chronic diseases and periodontitis.

Results

429 deaths occurred during a mean follow-up of 8.86 years.
Higher values of all 4 continuous α-diversity measures were associated with lower mortality after adjustment.
Each one-unit increase in the Shannon–Weiner index, reflecting bacterial richness and evenness, was associated with an adjusted hazard ratio of 0.648 (95% CI 0.532–0.789; p<0.001).
Some β-diversity clusters also differed in adjusted mortality risk.
Associations were observed in diabetes and hypertension subgroups, but were not consistently significant across other chronic diseases.
Current smoking and antibiotic use were associated with lower values of certain diversity measures.

Limitations

Observational data cannot establish causality; existing disease may itself influence microbial diversity.
A single baseline sample could not capture subsequent microbiome changes.
Oral rinses may inadequately represent bacteria attached to dental plaque, gums or the tongue.
Specific bacterial strains were not investigated, and residual confounding remains possible.

Conclusion

Oral microbial diversity may be a marker of long-term prognosis, particularly in diabetes and hypertension. Further research is needed before using diversity measurements clinically or assuming that increasing diversity improves survival.

Read the full article Back to Research

Research | 16.08.24

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