Need another reason to start losing any extra pounds you may be carrying? Here's one... Obese men, besides the extra weight, also carry a higher risk for painful, potentially dangerous gum problems than normal weight adults according to new research.
You've probably heard of the milder, more reversible form of gum disease - gingivitis, where only the gums are affected. Left untreated, this can progress to periodontitis where bacteria in the plaque irritate gums and provoke an inflammatory response that can be quite destructive.
As an often silently advancing condition, periodontal disease often doesn't show itself until it has got a firm hold in your mouth.
In this latest research, the experts looked at data for nearly 37,000 men who were included in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (HPFS) that began in 1986.
The program was created to compliment the all-female Nurses' Health Study and looked at the connection between nutritional and the incidence of serious conditions like cancer, heart disease and vascular problems.
Lots of effort has already gone into determining the risk between gum disease and cardiovascular risk.
To see if there might be a connection between periodontal disease and obesity, the team analyzed data spanning 16 years for the subjects, all of whom were free of gum disease at the start of the study.
Information on height, weight, waist/hip measurements was gathered as well as self-reported gum problems. Using the universal definition of obesity, a BMI of 30 of higher, Monik Jimenez, a doctoral candidate at the Harvard School of Public Health, discovered that obesity was linked to an increased risk of periodontal disease.
Jimenez will present the research findings at the 2009 International Association for Dental Research general session.
Not only higher BMI's, but waist circumferences were also linked to a higher risk of gum disease. A waist measurement of 40 inches or more, considered a risk for heart disease, increased the risk of gum disease by 19%, when compared to those with measurements under 40-inches.
"Obesity was associated with a 29 percent increased risk of periodontal disease over the course of the study." Jimenez said.
There was a small increase in risk of periodontal disease for those who were overweight, but not obese. This hardly compared to the risk for those carrying a lot of extra weight.
In a related work, Jimenez and colleagues at the University of Puerto Rico found that a higher waist-hip ratio (WHR) was tied to a higher risk of moderately severe gum disease in both men and women over 70 years old.
In women, an elevated waist-to-hip ratio is .88 or above; for men it's .95 or higher. Here's how the calculation is made, a woman with a 36-inch waist and 40-inch hips has a WHR of .90 (36/40 = .90). Subjects with elevated waist-to-hip ratios were almost 6 times more likely to have periodontal disease.
This work builds on earlier studies that associate gum disease with heart disease, as well as gum disease and cancer risk in males. Gum disease for diabetics is also known to be worse.
Concerned for your own gums?
Your own oral health?
A great start is to go for a heart healthy diet that's also good for your gums, brush and clean between your teeth several times each day, and don't put off regular visits to the dentist as they will be the first to spot any real problems.
Caught early, periodontal disease can usually be treated successfully - so you don't have to lose a tooth.
If you have sign or symptoms of gum problems, such as persistent swollen, red or bleeding gums, tooth sensitivity or bad breath, then a visit to your dentist is in order to make sure your mouth, and your whole body, stays healthy.
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