Periodontitis Linked to Chronic Diseases, From Diabetes to Depression

People with signs of disease gums are more likely to suffer from more diseases chronic conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and depression, that is, to find oneself in a so-called state of multimorbidity. This is revealed by a study coordinated by Francesco D'Aiuto of the University College London (UCL) and active member of the Society Italian Society of Implantology and Periodontology (SIdP), based on UK Biobank data - one of the largest health datasets in the world. UCL researchers in collaboration with other Universities (Glasgow and Birmingham) have found that people who reported symptoms of periodontitis such as bleeding gums, sore gums or loose teeth were likely statistically higher than living with two or more conditions chronic, even after taking into account risk factors in common as age, smoking and body weight. The study will be presented at EuroPerio11, the leading world congress of periodontology and implantology, organized by the European Federation of Periodontology (EFP) which opens on May 14 in Vienna. "Our study highlights once again the importance of oral health in the broader context of diseases systemic," says lead author Nisachon Siripaiboonpong, of the Eastman Dental Institute at UCL. "It suggests that improving gum health could help reduce the risk of multimorbidity, in particularly in aging populations." The researchers analyzed data from 500,612 participants to the biobank. Periodontal health was assessed through self-reported symptoms such as bleeding gums, gums painful and loose teeth - while multimorbidity has been defined as the presence of two or more chronic conditions. It turned out that 57% of the participants experienced a multimorbidity (presence of multiple health problems) at the same time); 18% reported signs of inflammation gingival. Those who presented any symptoms of gum disease were about 15% more likely to suffer from even more chronic diseases. Sore gums were the strongest predictor (+54% chance of suffering from more chronic diseases for those who complained of having sore gums), followed by loose teeth (+12%) and bleeding gums (+11%). Poor gum health, or periodontal inflammation, is increasingly being linked to the risk of suffer from systemic diseases. This is presumably due to to the spread of oral bacteria and inflammatory signals through the bloodstream, which can affect organs distant as the heart, lungs or brain. Furthermore, the periodontitis and chronic diseases share several factors of risk, such as poor nutrition, stress and socioeconomic inequality. "With life expectancy increasing, many people are find themselves managing more than one chronic condition," he says D'Aiuto. "But we often overlook that the mouth represents part of the problem and part of the solution." Although this study does not prove the existence of a cause and effect relationship between periodontitis and diseases chronic, provides new large-scale evidence that health of the gums is linked to broader outcomes in terms of health. Furthermore, it suggests that addressing inflammation periodontal disease can play a preventative role in health public. The study also found associations between poor periodontal health and some conditions, particularly problems related to alcohol, anxiety and depression, highlighting the complex interaction between mental health, lifestyle and oral health.