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57/100

✓ Peer-reviewed alzhub usefulness score 57 out of 100. Risk factors

Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies

Background Periodontitis is ubiquitous and associated with serological evidence of exposure to periodontal organisms, systemic inflammation and vascular disease. Dementia is a major public health problem likely related to a complex interaction between genetics and diseases associated with systemic inflammation, including diabetes, smoking and stroke. Methods To assess relationships between systemic exposure to periodontal pathogens and cognitive test outcomes, data were analysed from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES-III), a nationally representative cross sectional observational study among older adults. We included 2355 participants >or=60 years who completed measures of cognition and Poryphyromonas gingivalis IgG. Using SUDAAN, logistic regression models examined the association of P gingivalis IgG with cognitive test performance. Results Poor immediate verbal memory ( 119 ELISA Units (EU)) were more likely to have poor delayed verbal recall (OR 2.89, 95% CI 1.14 to 7.29) and impaired subtraction (OR 1.95, 95% CI 1.22 to 3.11) than those with the lowest ( Conclusion A serological marker of periodontitis is associated with impaired delayed memory and calculation. Further exploration of relationships between oral health and cognition is warranted.

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APA 7th

Noble, J. M., Borrell, L. N., Papapanou, P. N., Elkind, M. S., Scarmeas, N., & Wright, C. B. (2009). Periodontitis is associated with cognitive impairment among older adults: analysis of NHANES-III. Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1136/jnnp.2009.174029

Vancouver

Noble JM, Borrell LN, Papapanou PN, Elkind MS, Scarmeas N, Wright CB. Periodontitis is associated with cognitive impairment among older adults: analysis of NHANES-III. Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry. 2009. doi:10.1136/jnnp.2009.174029. PMID: 19419981.

BibTeX

@article{noble2009-19419981,
  author  = {Noble, J. M. and Borrell, L. N. and Papapanou, P. N. and Elkind, M. S. and Scarmeas, N. and Wright, C. B.},
  title   = {{Periodontitis is associated with cognitive impairment among older adults: analysis of NHANES-III}},
  journal = {Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry},
  year    = {2009},
  doi     = {10.1136/jnnp.2009.174029},
  pmid    = {19419981},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.1136/jnnp.2009.174029}
}

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Key findings

Background Periodontitis is ubiquitous and associated with serological evidence of exposure to periodontal organisms, systemic inflammation and vascular disease.
Dementia is a major public health problem likely related to a complex interaction between genetics and diseases associated with systemic inflammation, including diabetes, smoking and stroke.
Results Poor immediate verbal memory ( 119 ELISA Units (EU)) were more likely to have poor delayed verbal recall (OR 2.89, 95% CI 1.14 to 7.29) and impaired subtraction (OR 1.95, 95% CI 1.22 to 3.11) than those with the lowest ( Conclusion A serological marker of periodontitis is associated with imp

Why it matters

In 2,355 older adults, a blood marker of periodontitis was linked to poorer delayed verbal recall and impaired subtraction. This cross-sectional study shows an association between gum disease and cognitive test performance but cannot show cause or a way to prevent dementia.

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Study details

Participants2,355
Effect sizeOR 2.89; OR 1.95
Evidence strengthLow

How this study scored 57/100

Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.

Component	Points	Why
Journal tier	7 / 10	Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry)
Journal's citation record	3 / 4	Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery & Psychiatry: journal h-index 336 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29)
Study design	0 / 12	No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0)
Strength of evidence	1 / 5	Rated “low” in our summary
Peer-review validation	10 / 10	Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal.
How recent	1 / 5	2009 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here
Sample size	3 / 4	2,355 participants
Effect reported	3 / 3	Effect reported with a statistic (interval, p-value, ratio or similar)
Studied in people	3 / 3	Studied in people (participant count stated)
Randomised / blinded	0 / 2	No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0)
Times cited	6 / 7	Cited 325 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10)
Citations per year	3 / 5	17.1 citations a year over 19 year(s) since 2009
Impact for its field and year	3 / 6	Cited 7.6× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI)
Cited by studies here	2 / 6	Cited by 4 other studies in this library
Still being cited	3 / 4	Cited 59 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex)
Senior author's track record	3 / 4	Last-listed author Clinton B. Wright: h-index 67 (OpenAlex, whole career)
Institution's track record	2 / 3	Columbia University: institution h-index 1,824 (OpenAlex)
Multi-centre collaboration	2 / 3	OpenAlex lists 6 institution(s) in 1 country
Indexed in PubMed	2 / 2	Indexed in PubMed (PMID 19419981)
Free to read	0 / 2	Behind a paywall — scores zero
Total	57 / 100	—

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