According to a new American study, postmenopausal women who have lost one or more teeth run a 20% higher risk of high blood pressure.
Although periodontal diseases are responsible for approximately 40% of dental extractions and concern nearly half of the adult population, they should not be taken lightly.
Already known to be linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and suspected of being the cause of Alzheimer’s disease, these infectious diseases also increase the risk of high blood pressure in postmenopausal women.
This is according to a new study published in theAmerican Journal of Hypertension. According to its authors, postmenopausal women who have lost one or more teeth have a 20% additional risk of developing high blood pressure.
Bad eating habits pointed out
Periodontal disease (or periodontitis) is a disease of infectious origin that affects and destroys the supporting tissues of the teeth. It is generally a slow pathology, which evolves over several decades and caused by the stagnation of bacteria in dental plaque, which creates an inflammatory reaction on the gums and bones. If it can be slowed down on a daily basis thanks to meticulous dental and oral hygiene, periodontitis unfortunately cannot be cured.
In order to study the link between tooth loss and increased risk of hypertension, the researchers conducted an observational study with 36,692 postmenopausal women, followed each year from 1998 to 2015.
The results showed a clear association between tooth loss and the risk of hypertension. For women who have lost one or more teeth, the risk of developing hypertension is 20% higher than for other women.
How to explain it? Scientists give several reasons. First of all, that of food: when people lose teeth, they can modify their diet by favoring softer and often more processed foods. These foods are notorious for their negative impact on cardiovascular health and may lead to a higher risk of high blood pressure.
Tooth loss: an additional risk factor for hypertension
For the authors of the study, if the results of the study suggest an uncertain relationship between periodontal disease and hypertension, it is however likely that older postmenopausal women and losing their teeth represent a group with a higher risk factor in terms of relates to high blood pressure.
They suggest that improving dental hygiene could reduce this risk, as well as preventive measures such as close monitoring of blood pressure, following a healthier diet, practicing physical activity and weight loss.
They conclude that tooth loss should serve as a clinical warning sign for an increased risk of hypertension. “These results suggest that tooth loss could be an important factor in the development of hypertension. Further research could help us determine the underlying mechanisms by which these two common diseases are associated”, concludes Jean Wactawski- Wende, lead author of the study and a professor of epidemiology and environmental health at the State University of New York.
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