Research has long highlighted a relationship between poor gum health and a higher risk of cardiovascular disease – and now, a new test suggests that the treatment of severe gum disease can reduce the narrowing of a large artery over time in different healthy people.
Most likely reducing inflammationThis process of hygiene oral routine can be an invisible way of minimizing the reduction of blood vessels.
‘I was very shocked when I looked at the data for the first time’, co-author of study Dr. Marco OrlandiA clinical survey period at University College London told Live Science.
Around 40% of US adults Ages 30 and older have some level of gum disease, known as periodontalA chronic inflammatory state whose evolution leads to swinging teeth, tooth loss and persistent bad breathing. As the disease worsens, small pockets around teeth that cannot be approached by a toothbrush or thread extend and fill plaque and bacteria.
There is now an abundance of research that connects periodontitis with greater risk of various health results, including Alzheimer’s disease; colon cancer and rheumatoid arthritis. A basic area area with impressive elements is the association between a serious gum disease and cardiovascular diseaseWith previous studies it is found that gum disease management is linked to improving the function of blood vessels.
Now, a clinical trial posted on August 19th at European Heart Journal It has found that the treatment of periodontitis slows down the thickening of the inner two layers of carotid arteries, found on each side of the throat, in different healthy adults. The thickness of these arterial walls is a Basic indicator for the risk of cardiovascular disease.
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Targeting inflammation and not for other artery health factors, such as cholesterol, “the impact of what we do comes without crossing the classic danger path” for cardiovascular disease, Orlandi said.
To check whether the treatment of periodontitis actually causes carotid arteries to thicken less over time, Orlandi and the group of periodontists and cardiologists conducted a golden test at a dental hospital in Central London. The test was randomized, which means that participants were randomly placed in a treatment group or comparison group that did not receive intensive gum treatment.
First, the researchers took ultrasound of the carotid arteries of 135 people with severe periodontitis to create a basic level of thickness. They also measured how much the arteries expand when blood flow increased – a blood vessel function – and received blood samples to identify markers of inflammatory and oxidative stress. All people were healthy except for gum disease.
The participants were then separated by either the treatment group or the control group. Care was taken to ensure that there was an approximate separated between the two groups in terms of the severity of participants’ periodontitis, smoking condition and family history of cardiovascular disease.
In the treatment group, patients received intensive periodontitis treatment: a complete clean of the whole mouth and deeply clean under the gumline to remove the plate and tartar. The control team received a simple scale and varnish, more similar to a regular dental cleaning that does not include deep clean of the gums.
Participants followed for two years and received further dental treatments at regular intervals throughout this period. The researchers also re-examined the carotid artery on the signs of one year and two years and received blood samples and measured blood-Vessel’s operation at five times.
They found that the thickness of the internal investment of the carotid arteries was lower for people who received intensive treatment than for those of the control group. This difference was “comparable to those observed with lifestyle interventions and certain pharmacological factors in similar populations”, co-author of study Dr. Francesco d’AiutoA clinical survey period at University College London told Live Science in an email.
Patients undergoing treatment also had better function of blood vessels and lower levels atherosclerosis.
Although many factors lead to atherosclerosis, “our results reinforce the view that not -treated periodontitis is a modified risk factor for vascular aging and possibly cardiovascular events,” D’Aiuto said.
However, a key restriction on the research is that it was carried out only in one location, so that findings are likely to come partly to the peculiarities of the location or people in the sample, Orlandi said.
Another restriction, he said Dr. Maurizio TonettiA clinical and research periodontist at the University of Hong Kong, who did not participate in the investigation, is that all trial participants were healthy except for periodontitis. Therefore, these results should not be interpreted as proof that if someone with atherosclerosis has been cured of gum disease, the health of their arteries will improve, he said in live science.
Even so, the findings “bring the meaning of these [intensive gum disease] Interventions in maintaining wellness, “Tonetti said.
“For many, many years, dentists have focused on the teeth, forgetting the rest of the body and doctors focus on the body, forgetting that there are teeth,” he said. “They are really two worlds that have been separated and must return together for the benefit of patients.”
This article is only for information purposes and is not intended to provide medical advice.
