Qian Y, Yuan W, Mei N, et al. - Researchers undertook this retrospective cohort analysis among 1,385 patients aged 75 years and above who had a radiographic examination in the largest dental hospital in Shanghai, China, between January 2010 and December 2014, to determine if periodontitis raises the risk of respiratory disease mortality among older patients. They identified a link of periodontitis with total respiratory disease mortality. In patients with severe periodontitis vs healthy participants, the estimated hazard ratio and 95% confidence interval for total respiratory disease mortality was 2.72 (1.04,7.11) following adjustment for relevant confounding variables. A significant rise in the risks for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease mortality also accompanied the rising severity of periodontitis. Although a causal link could not be ascertained, this work affords substantial evidence that there exists a link between poor periodontal health and respiratory disease in older patients, especially in smokers and those with BMI < 25 kg/m².