Association between posterior occlusal pairs loss and severe sarcopenia in community-dwelling Chinese older adults: A cross-sectional study.

Individuals with severe sarcopenia are at a higher risk of adverse health events than those with sarcopenia alone. However, due to the limited number of studies, the condition remains poorly understood. To date, few studies have examined the association between tooth loss and severe sarcopenia. Therefore, we conducted a cross-sectional study to address this gap. Community residents who were 60 years and older, and had attended a local government basic health checkup from March to October in 2022 were recruited. Severe sarcopenia was defined according to the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia 2019. Loss of occlusal pairs (14 total pairs: 6 anterior occlusal pairs, 8 posterior occlusal pairs [POPs]) was quantified through dental examinations. Logistic regressions were used to evaluate the association between loss of occlusal pairs and severe sarcopenia, adjusting for potential confounding factors. A total of 1421 older adults (42.6% men, 71.4 ± 6.8 years old) were enrolled in this study. The prevalence of severe sarcopenia was 8.3%. Multivariate analyses showed that each additional POPs loss increased severe sarcopenia risk (adjusted OR = 1.17, 95% CI = 1.06-1.28, P = .001), while anterior occlusal pairs loss showed no association (P = .982). From the angle of population group, significant increase in severe sarcopenia was only found in older adults with the highest levels of missing POPs compared to those without (Δ high vs low loss: 12.45% (P < .001); Δ high vs low-medium loss: 10.14% (P < .001); Δ high vs medium-high loss: 9.85% (P < .001)). The identification and management of POPs loss, high loss in particular, could be important in preventing severe sarcopenia in community-dwelling older adults.