By Robert Preidt
HealthDay reporter
MONDAY, March 29, 2021 (HealthDay News) – Are you looking to ward off high blood pressure? Don’t forget to brush and floss.
A new study found that severe gum disease significantly increases the likelihood that an otherwise healthy person will develop high blood pressure.
“”[Our] There is evidence that periodontal bacteria damage the gums and also trigger inflammatory reactions that can influence the development of systemic diseases such as “high blood pressure,” said study author Dr. Francesco D’Aiuto, Head of Periodontics Department at University College London Eastman Dental Institute. He spoke in a press release for Hypertension magazine, which published the report on March 29.
The researchers looked at 250 otherwise healthy adults with severe periodontal disease and 250 healthy adults without gum disease. Their median age was 35, which means half were older and half were younger.
According to the results, participants with gum disease were twice as likely to have high systolic blood pressure (140 mm Hg or more) than participants with healthy gums (14% and 7%, respectively). The systolic level – the highest number on a blood pressure reading – tells you how much pressure your blood puts on your blood vessels as it moves through your body.
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While only a cause and effect link, rather than a link, has been established, the results suggest that around 50% of adults could have undetected high blood pressure due to gum disease – a tissue infection that can also lead to inflammation and bone or teeth loss.
Researchers said that preventing and treating gum disease can be a cost-effective way to reduce systemic inflammation and improve the function of the endothelium, the thin lining in the heart and blood vessels.
“Patients with gum disease often suffer from high blood pressure, especially with active gingivitis or gum bleeding,” said lead author Dr. Eva Muñoz Aguilera, lead researcher at the institute.
Because high blood pressure often has no outward symptoms, many people may not be aware that they are at an increased risk of heart problems, she added in the press release.
D’Aiuto says screening dentists for high blood pressure and referring first-aiders while medics also screen and refer gum disease could improve patient health and reduce the burden of high blood pressure and its complications.
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“Oral health strategies like brushing your teeth twice a day have been shown to be very effective in treating and preventing the most common oral diseases. The results of our study show that they can also be a powerful and affordable tool for preventing high blood pressure,” concluded D’Aiuto.
More information
The American Academy of Periodontology is more concerned with gum disease.
Source: Hypertension, press release, March 29, 2021
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