Adults with gum disease are TWICE more likely to have high blood pressure

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Adults with gum disease TWICE more likely to have high blood pressure, study finds

  • UCL researchers investigated the link between gum disease and blood pressure
  • People with periodontitis are 2.3 times more likely to have hypertension
  • In the study, 14% of people with periodontitis had medically high blood pressure
  • This figure is halved for people with good oral health. study shows

By Joe Pinkstone For Mailonline

Published: | Updated:

People with severe gum disease are twice as likely to have high blood pressure, according to a new study.

A study of 250 people with periodontitis – severe gum disease – found that people with the disease are 2.3 times more likely to have systolic blood pressure above 140 mm Hg, the medical threshold for gum disease. hypertension.

Periodontitis is an infection of the gums that often leads to bleeding and can lead to loss of teeth or bones.

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Periodontitis is an infection of the gums that often causes bleeding and can lead to loss of teeth or bones. People with hypertension are up to 2.3 times more likely to have hypertension (stock)

Periodontitis is an infection of the gums that often leads to bleeding and can lead to loss of teeth or bones. People with hypertension are up to 2.3 times more likely to have hypertension (stock)

Researchers at University College London studied both systolic and diastolic blood pressure – the force exerted by the blood when the heart contracts and relaxes, respectively.

Both parameters are measured in millimeters of mercury (mmHg) and people with gum disease have, on average, a higher systolic pressure of 3.36 mm Hg.

Their diastolic blood pressure is also elevated by 2.16 mm Hg compared to people with excellent dental health.

Among people with good oral health, only seven percent of people had systolic blood pressure greater than 140 mm Hg.

This figure doubles to 14 percent among people with gum disease.

Researchers at University College London studied both systolic and diastolic blood pressure - the force exerted by the blood when the heart contracts and relaxes, respectively. Among healthy people, only 7% had systolic blood pressure above 140 mm Hg. This figure doubles to 14% in people with gum disease (stock)

Researchers at University College London studied both systolic and diastolic blood pressure – the force exerted by the blood when the heart contracts and relaxes, respectively. Among healthy people, only 7% had systolic blood pressure above 140 mm Hg. This figure doubles to 14% in people with gum disease (stock)

Covid-19 can infect cells in the MOUTH and cause loss of taste, dry mouth and blisters

SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus responsible for Covid-19, infects saliva and cells in the mouth, according to a new study.

American researchers have found evidence that the salivary glands are an area in the mouth where the deadly virus infects our cells.

The SARS-CoV-2 infection in the mouth explains the oral symptoms that people with Covid-19 have experienced, such as loss of taste, dry mouth and blistering, they believe.

The mouth may also play a role in the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 to the lungs or digestive system via virus-laden saliva from infected oral cells, experts believe.

Previous evidence has already suggested that Covid-19 is spread through secretions from the mouth and nose, including saliva, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Lead author of the study, Dr Eva Muñoz Aguilera, senior researcher at UCL Eastman Dental Institute in London, said: “ Patients with gum disease often have high blood pressure, especially with active gum inflammation or bleeding gums.

“High blood pressure is usually asymptomatic and many people may not know they are at increased risk for cardiovascular complications.

“We aimed to study the association between severe periodontitis and high blood pressure in healthy adults without a confirmed diagnosis of hypertension.”

All study participants underwent comprehensive periodontal examinations that included detailed measurements of the severity of gum disease, such as full mouth plaque, bleeding gums, and the depth of infected gum pockets.

Blood pressure was measured and blood samples analyzed for levels of white blood cells and high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), two known markers of increased inflammation in the body.

Additional information such as genetic history of cardiovascular disease, age, BMI, gender, ethnicity, smoking, and levels of physical activity were taken into account in the analysis.

Researchers found that a diagnosis of gum disease was associated with a higher likelihood of hypertension, regardless of common cardiovascular risk factors.

Professor Francesco D’Aiuto, head of the periodontology unit at UCL Eastman Dental Institute and co-author of the study, said: “ This evidence indicates that periodontal bacteria damage the gums and also trigger responses inflammatory diseases that may impact the development of systemic diseases, including hypertension.

“This would mean that the link between gum disease and high blood pressure occurs long before a patient develops high blood pressure.

“Our study also confirms that an extremely high number of people are unaware of a possible diagnosis of hypertension.”

He adds that looking for signs of gum disease could be a useful way to spot high blood pressure earlier than expected.

“ Oral health strategies such as brushing your teeth twice a day have been shown to be very effective in managing and preventing the most common oral conditions, and the results of our study indicate that they can also be a powerful and affordable tool to help prevent hypertension, ” he says.

The full results are published in the journal Hypertension.



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