A Scottish national population based survey examined if self reported toothbrushing behaviour is associated with cardiovascular disease and markers of inflammation (C reactive protein) and coagulation (fibrinogen).Participants were 12,000 men and women, mean age 50. Oral hygiene was assessed from self reported frequency of toothbrushing. There were a total of 555 cardiovascular disease events over an average of 8 years of follow-up, of which 170 were fatal.
Participants who reported poor oral hygiene (never/rarely brushed their teeth) had an increased risk of a cardiovascular disease event (hazard ratio 1.7).
They also had increased concentrations of both C reactive protein and fibrinogen.
Poor oral hygiene is associated with higher levels of risk of cardiovascular disease and low grade inflammation, though the causal nature of the association is yet to be determined.
References:
Toothbrushing, inflammation, and risk of cardiovascular disease: results from Scottish Health Survey. BMJ 2010;340:c2451.
Image source: Cross-section of a tooth with visible gums, or gingiva, Wikipedia, GNU Free Documentation License.
Is a lower tooth brushing frequency associated with a sedentary lifestyle?
ReplyDeleteWhy would lower brushing frequency be associated with sedentary lifestyle, medgeek?.... :)
ReplyDeleteDrawing conclusions myselft would be speculative. I suggested a discussion on possible confounding bias factors between the poor oral hygiene and the cardiovascular disease association. Probably social factors play a big role?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18813675
Or is it more scientific to think of bacteria overgroth / toxins?
Thanks for your attention, MG.
what if you have not teeth?
ReplyDeletewhat if you have artificial teeth
ReplyDeleteMy dentist once said that a poor oral hygiene leads to periodontitis (gum inflammation) more frequently, and so the elevation of these markers of inflammation as the C reactive protein. This condition contribute to a bad control of diabetes and hypertention. Having 02 base diseases with a bad control can easily improve the risk of heart attack and stroke. My shot is that a poor oral hygiene creates a cronicle spot of inflamation with endocrine repercussions.
ReplyDelete