Need another reason to start losing any extra pounds you may be carrying? Here’s one… Obese men, besides the extra weight, also carry a higher risk for painful, potentially dangerous gum problems than normal weight adults according to new research.
No doubt you’ve heard of gingivitis – The milder and reversible form of gum disease. However, if left untreated gingivitis can progress to periodontitis, which is when bacteria in the plaque irritates the gums and provokes an inflammatory reaction that can be destructive.
As an often silently advancing condition, periodontal disease often doesn’t show itself until it has got a firm hold in your mouth.
In this latest research, the experts looked at data for nearly 37,000 men who were included in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (HPFS) that began in 1986.
The study was designed to go hand in hand with the all-female Nurses’ Health Study and looks at the links between nutritional factors and those of serious conditions like cancer, heart disease and vascular problems.
Lots of effort has already gone into determining the risk between gum disease and cardiovascular risk.
To identify if there is a link between periodontal disease and obesity, the researchers analyzed data covering 16 years for the subjects, all of whom were gum disease free at the start of the research.
Data on height, weight, waist/hip measurements was collected as well as self-reported gum disease. Using the standard definition of obesity, a BMI of 30 of higher, Monik Jimenez, a doctoral candidate at the Harvard School of Public Health, found that obesity brought an increased risk of periodontal disease.
Jimenez will present the findings at the 2009 International Association for Dental Research general session in Miami Beach.
Not only higher BMI’s, but waist circumferences were also linked by this study to a higher risk of gum disease. A waist measurement of 40 inches or more, considered a risk for heart disease, upped the risk of gum disease by 19% as compared to those with measurements under the 40-inch mark.
“Obesity was associated with a 29 percent increased risk of periodontal disease over the course of the study.” Jimenez said.
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Some good news is that there was only a small increase in risk of periodontal disease for those who were overweight, but not obese.
In a related work, researchers at the University of Puerto Rico found that a higher waist-hip ratio (WHR) was linked to a higher risk of moderately severe gum disease in both men and women over 70-years old.
In women, an elevated waist-to-hip ratio is .88 or above; for men it’s .95 or higher. Here’s how the calculation is made, a woman with a 36-inch waist and 40-inch hips has a WHR of .90 (36/40 = .90). People with elevated waist-to-hip ratios were almost 6 times more likely to have periodontal disease.
This research continues to expand upon on earlier studies that link gum disease with heart disease, as well as gum disease with cancer risk in males. Gum disease for diabetics is also known to be higher.
Concerned for your own gums?
Your health?
To keep your mouth healthy, choose a heart healthy diet that’s also beneficial for your gums, brush and clean regularly each day, and don’t avoid regular dental check-ups.
Caught nice and early, periodontal disease can be treated – so you don’t have to lose any teeth.
If you have sign or symptoms of gum problems, such as persistent swollen, red or bleeding gums, tooth sensitivity or bad breath, then a visit to your dentist is in order to make sure your mouth, and your whole body, stays healthy.
Next – Just head on over to the Daily Health Bulletin for more information on obesity and gum disease, plus for a limited time get 5 free fantastic health reports. Click here for details on the link between obesity and gum problems.