Dental care and oral conditions are associated with the prevalence of sarcopenia in people with type 2 diabetes: a cross-sectional study

Abstract Background Insulin resistance, which is closely associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), is a cause of sarcopenia and people with T2DM have a high risk of sarcopenia. Keeping good oral condition by dental care is important for people with T2DM. Keeping good oral condition by dental care is important for people with T2DM. This study has investigated the association between dental care or oral conditions and sarcopenia in people with T2DM. Methods Dental care and oral conditions were evaluated based on a self-reported questionnaire. Individuals with both low handgrip strength and low skeletal muscle mass index were diagnosed with sarcopenia. Results Among 266 people with T2DM, the proportions of sarcopenia, not having a family dentist, not having a toothbrushing behavior, poor chewing ability, and use of complete dentures were 18.0%, 30.5%, 33.1%, 25.2%, and 14.3%, respectively. The proportions of sarcopenia in people not having a family dentist (27.2% vs. 14.1%, p = 0.017), those with poor chewing ability (26.9% vs. 15.1%, p = 0.047), and use of complete dentures (36.8% vs. 14.9%, p = 0.002) were higher than those in people without. The proportion of sarcopenia in people without toothbrushing behavior tended to be higher than that in people with toothbrushing behavior (25.0% vs. 14.6%, p = 0.057). Not having a family dentist (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 2.48 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.21–5.09], p = 0.013), poor chewing ability (adjusted OR 2.12 [95% CI: 1.01–4.46], p = 0.048), and use of complete dentures (adjusted OR 2.38 [95% CI: 1.01–5.99], p = 0.046) were related to the prevalence of sarcopenia. Conclusions This study revealed that dental care and oral conditions were associated with the prevalence of sarcopenia.