Early Tooth Loss Indicates Higher Heart Risk

According to the findings of a new study, tooth loss on account of cavities or gum disease during young adulthood might be a sign of increased risk of death due to heart disease in later life. Published in the journal Heart, the findings add to reports of previous studies that have linked oral health to heart disease.

There have been a number of studies that have shown gum disease to cause heart disease over time; however it is yet to be proven that a cause-and-effect relationship exists between the two. In general, tooth loss is considered to be a sign of poor oral health.

To explain the link between oral and heart health, scientists hypothesize that the bacteria in the mouth that lead to cavities and gum disease may enter the bloodstream and damage the blood vessel lining directly. The bacteria may also cause inflammation in the body – a known cause for heart disease.

Covering 12,631 adults, this latest study was conducted by Dr. Yu-Kang Tu of the University of Leeds and colleagues. The adults were followed right from their college days for up to 57 years. All of them had medical and dental check-ups while in college in the period from 1940s to 1960s.

The researchers then traced the records of these students through the UK National Health Service until 2005. 1,432 people from the study population died during this period. The researchers observed that those who lost multiple teeth in young adulthood – nine or more teeth – had one-third more risk of death due to heart disease than those who lost less than five teeth.

The link remained strong even after the researchers made adjustments for socioeconomic background and smoking –factors that can harm both the teeth and gums and the heart. Overall, the researchers found men and women with maximum tooth loss during college to be 35% more likely to have died from heart disease than those with four or fewer missing teeth.

According to the study authors, their findings do not prove that oral bacteria are the cause of heart disease. At the same time, Dr. Tu and colleagues strongly believe that there is a relationship between tooth loss and cardiovascular disease. The major point of difference between their study and earlier ones is that they studied oral health in early life rather than in later life.

“Our study adds to the evidence that chronic infection – oral or elsewhere in the body – may increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases,” Dr. Tu said. In his opinion, it is still too soon to say that good oral hygiene will reduce the risk of heart disease as the risk is dependent on multiple lifestyle and genetic factors. “But it also won’t hurt people to take better care of their teeth,” Dr. Tu added.

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