NEW YORK, Feb 23 (Reuters Health) -- A number of studies have suggested
that people with gum disease have a higher risk of heart disease, and now
researchers think they know the reason why.
People who have gum disease -- indicated by red, swollen gums that bleed
during tooth brushing -- also tend to have higher blood levels of fibrinogen, a
clotting factor, and C-reactive protein (CRP), an inflammatory molecule,
according to a report in the February issue of the American Journal of
Epidemiology.
What's more, gum disease (known as periodontal disease) may also be linked
with a higher cholesterol level, report Dr. Tiejian Wu, of the State University
of New York at Buffalo, and colleagues.
However, the relationship between cholesterol and gum disease was weaker
than that seen for fibrinogen and CRP in the study of more than 10,000 adults 17
and over. All three factors -- CRP, fibrinogen and cholesterol -- may contribute
to an increased risk of heart disease, the authors conclude.
"The effect of poor periodontal health status on these well-established
cardiovascular disease risk factors may explain, at least in part, the
association between periodontal disease and increased cardiovascular disease
risk observed in a number of previous studies," the authors conclude.
Gum disease, which is characterized by gingivitis (red swollen gums),
inflammation and the destruction of the bony structure that holds teeth in
place, is caused mostly by bacteria. Past studies have found that people with
gum disease have a 25% increase in the risk of heart disease compared to those
with healthy gums, but it was not clear why.
The new study suggests that gum disease might lead to repeated contact
between bacteria and the blood stream, which could have an impact on blood fats
and clotting factors. Or it is possible that bacteria might cause problems by
escaping directly into the blood stream.
While the study could not conclusively determine that cholesterol, CRP and
fibrinogen are responsible for the increased heart risk associated with gum
disease, they "may explain, at least in part, the link between periodontal
disease and increased cardiovascular disease risk," the authors conclude.
