People with severe gum disease may be twice as likely to have elevated blood pressure

 Dallas, March 29, 2021-According to the latest research report published today by the American Heart Association journal Hypertension, adults with periodontitis with severe gum infections have a significantly higher blood pressure than adults with healthy gums high.

Previous studies have found an association between hypertension and periodontitis, but few detailed studies are confirming this association. Periodontitis is an infection that fixes teeth to the gum tissue, which can lead to progressive inflammation and bone or tooth loss. The prevention and treatment of periodontitis are cost-effective, can reduce systemic signs of inflammation, and improve endothelial function (forming a thin film inside the heart and blood vessels).

A senior researcher at UCL Eastman Dental and Eva Muñoz Aguilera of DDS said: “Patients with gum disease usually experience elevated blood pressure, especially when there is active gum inflammation or bleeding gums.” London Institute, UK. "Elevated blood pressure is usually asymptomatic, and many people may not realize that they are at increased risk of cardiovascular complications. Our aim is to investigate the relationship between severe periodontitis and high blood pressure in healthy adults without confirming it. Suffer from high blood pressure."

The study included 250 adults with widespread, severe periodontitis (50% of the teeth measured by gum infection) and a control group. Among them, 250 adults without severe gum disease were all healthy and nothing else. Chronic health conditions. The median age of the participants was 35 years, and the female was 52.6%. The research was done in collaboration with the Department of Dentistry of the International University of Catalonia in Barcelona, ​​Spain.

All participants underwent a comprehensive periodontal examination, including detailed measurements of the severity of gum diseases, such as whole mouth plaque, bleeding gums, and depth of gingival pocket infection. To ensure the accuracy of the participants, three blood pressure assessments were conducted for each participant. Fasting blood samples were also collected and analyzed for high levels of white blood cells and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), as both are signs of increased inflammation in the body. Other information analyzed as confounders included family history of cardiovascular disease, age, body mass index, gender, race, smoking, and physical activity level.

Researchers found that the diagnosis of gum disease is related to a higher chance of high blood pressure, but not too common cardiovascular risk factors. Compared with people with healthy gums, people with gum disease are twice as likely to have a high systolic blood pressure of 140 mmHg (14% and 7%, respectively). The researchers also found:

The presence of active gum inflammation (determined by bleeding gums) is associated with increased systolic blood pressure.

Compared with the control group, participants with periodontitis showed higher glucose, LDL ("bad" cholesterol), hsCRP and white blood cell levels, and lower HDL ("good" cholesterol) levels.