オーラルフレイルが高齢者の健康寿命を短縮:定期的な歯科受診が鍵に~全国高齢者を対象とした6年間の追跡研究で、要介護・死亡リスクとの関連を解明~

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2025-12-02 東京科学大学

東京科学大学の研究グループは、全国の高齢者を対象としたJAGESデータ(2016年)と6年間の追跡データを用いて、オーラルフレイル(歯数減少・咀嚼・嚥下・発話困難・口腔乾燥のうち3項目以上)の健康寿命への影響を分析した。結果、オーラルフレイルを有する高齢者は、非該当者に比べて要介護リスクが1.23倍、死亡リスクが1.34倍高く、65歳時点の健康寿命は約1.4〜1.5年短いことが明らかになった。一方、定期的な歯科受診者は、いずれの群でも平均約1年長い健康寿命を持ち、継続的な歯科ケアの有用性が示された。本研究は、オーラルフレイルが高齢期の健康を大きく損なう要因であることを示すとともに、歯科受診が健康寿命延伸に寄与する可能性を示唆するものであり、公衆衛生政策や地域保健活動への応用が期待される。成果は Geriatrics and Gerontology International に掲載された。

オーラルフレイルが高齢者の健康寿命を短縮:定期的な歯科受診が鍵に~全国高齢者を対象とした6年間の追跡研究で、要介護・死亡リスクとの関連を解明~
図 オーラルフレイルと歯科未受診の健康悪化リスクと、オーラルフレイルと65歳の時の健康寿命の推定年数

<関連情報>

口腔虚弱、歯科受診、健康寿命:日本の高齢者を対象とした6年間の前向きコホート研究 Oral Frailty, Dental Visits, and Healthy Life Expectancy: A 6-Year Prospective Cohort Among Japanese Older Adults

Safira Khairinisa, Sakura Kiuchi, Yusuke Matsuyama, Masanori Iwasaki, Jun Aida
Geriatrics & Gerontology International  Published: 21 October 2025
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1111/ggi.70230

ABSTRACT

Aim

Oral frailty (OF), a comprehensive oral function decline, is linked to health deterioration in older adults. The impact of OF and dental visits on healthy life expectancy (HLE) remains underexplored. This study examined the association between OF, dental visits, and HLE.

Methods

This prospective cohort study used data from the 2016 Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study (JAGES), including independent older adults aged ≥ 65 at baseline, with follow-up through March 2023 using disability and mortality records from the national long-term care insurance database (median follow-up = 6.2 years). OF was defined as having ≥ 3 of the following: fewer teeth, chewing difficulty, swallowing difficulty, dry mouth, and speaking difficulty. Recent dental visits at baseline were assessed. HLE by OF status and dental visits was estimated using Royston–Parmar multistate modeling in random forest-imputed datasets, adjusting for sociodemographic and health confounders.

Results

Among 11 080 participants (mean age 74.1; 52.9% female), 12.0% were OF, and 49.5% had a dental visit in the past 6 months. OF was associated with transition from healthy to disability (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.23, 95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 1.01–1.50) and from healthy to death (HR: 1.34, 95% CI: 1.05–1.71). At age 65, males without OF had an HLE of 23.39 years, while males with OF had 21.96 years; females without OF had an HLE of 24.77 years, while females with OF had 23.64 years. Dental visits were associated with approximately 1 year longer HLE in all groups.

Conclusion

OF significantly reduces HLE, and dental visits may mitigate this outcome in older adults.

医療・健康
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