New study shows why gums play a role in heart attack risk
Created: 01/12/2023 04:59
By: Yannick Hanke
Periodontitis is an inflammation caused by bacteria that spreads in the mouth.
But it can also affect the whole body and increase the risk of heart attack.
Berlin – The trend is rising: According to the current oral health study, 52 percent of people in Germany are affected by periodontitis from the age of 35.
Among seniors, the inflammation would affect as many as 90 percent, the study found.
This chronic inflammation of the periodontium progresses in phases.
It destroys tissue and bone and, in the long term, leads to the loosening and loss of both healthy and diseased teeth.
The big problem with periodontitis: The triggering bacteria and inflammatory substances can get into the blood via the gums.
In this way, other diseases are triggered.
This also affects the risk of a heart attack.
Untreated periodontitis can increase the risk of stroke and heart attack
Anyone who suffers from periodontitis must also reckon with the fact that the inflammation has an effect on the risk of a heart attack.
© Oliver Berg/dpa/symbol image
If periodontitis is left untreated, the inflammation can affect the entire body.
The first studies have already proven the connection between periodontal disease and the development of cardiovascular diseases.
Accordingly, the disease increases the risk of stroke, heart attack and heart failure (heart muscle weakness).
"Periodontitis, an inflammation of the periodontium, is a so-called silent disease that initially has no symptoms and can therefore do a lot of harm in secret," Romy Ermler told
Focus Online
.
The Vice President of the German Dental Association (BZÄK) speaks of neglecting the disease when it comes to the prevention of cardiovascular diseases.
According to the study: People with periodontitis are almost twice as likely to have a heart attack as people without periodontitis
People with periodontal disease have an average 49 percent higher risk of heart attack or stroke over a six-year period than people without periodontal disease.
A study from Sweden confirmed this.
The more severe the periodontal disease, the higher the risk of a heart attack or stroke with all its symptoms.
Periodontitis also increases the risk of high blood pressure
There is also an increased risk of high blood pressure – a result of periodontitis.
This is the result of a British meta-analysis that examined 81 international studies on the subject.
Here it was determined that the average systolic blood pressure of people suffering from periodontitis is 4.5 mmHg (millimeters of mercury; unit for blood pressure) higher than that of healthy people.
What the systolic and diastolic values say
The systolic value shows the pressure with which blood is pressed from the heart into the body.
The diastolic value, in turn, measures the blood pressure while the heart is refilling with blood, i.e. between two heartbeats.
In Germany, for example, both values are always included in the diagnosis of high blood pressure.
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Diastolic blood pressure, on the other hand, was on average two mmHg higher compared to people with healthy gums.
An increase in blood pressure of five mmHg increases the risk of death from a heart attack or stroke by 25 percent.
Similar risk factors in cardiovascular disease and periodontal disease
The assumption of the researchers: The periodontitis-causing bacteria in the bloodstream of those affected influence the function of the blood vessels.
In addition, cardiovascular diseases and periodontal disease have similar risk factors.
Which includes:
genetic factors
Smoking: Compared to non-smokers, smokers have a two to seven times higher risk of developing periodontitis.
This is because the body's defenses and blood circulation in the mouth are weakened.
Smoking also delays the healing of wounds in the mouth.
Diabetes: High blood sugar levels weaken the defenses of the periodontium, which means that inflammation occurs more frequently and heals more slowly.
Psychological stress
Hormonal changes, triggered for example by pregnancy.
Immune system diseases such as AIDS.
taking certain medications
Due to these parallels, it is recommended that a diagnosis of periodontitis also be passed on to the family doctor or cardiologist.
"Early detection and treatment of periodontitis are important preventive measures to counteract general diseases, which in the worst case can lead to death, for example if there is severe inflammation of the heart valves," says Romy Ermler, who Vice President of the German Dental Association (BZÄK)
These symptoms indicate periodontitis
Basically, the earlier periodontitis is detected, the easier it can be treated.
The following symptoms indicate the disease:
persistent bleeding gums
red, swollen, bluish or painful gums
Gingival pockets: visible gap between teeth and gums
teeth that are sensitive to pain, especially with hot and cold food
receding gums
constant bad breath
And, as Ermler concludes: "In the patient consultation, the question of dental health can therefore provide an important impetus for clarifying a possible periodontitis".
