Severe gum disease linked to 49% higher risk of hypertension

More and more evidence points to the notion that gum disease increases the risk of other health conditions, including hypertension. A new review of the literature now argues that the more severe the form of gum disease, the higher the risk of hypertension.
Accumulating evidence points to a strong link between gum disease and the risk of hypertension.


While the two conditions may appear to be entirely unrelated, recent studies have pointed to an intriguing link between the presence of gum disease and an increased risk of hypertension.

Now, a review of the recent literature on the topic has confirmed that, based on the evidence so far, people with periodontitis — an advanced form of gum disease — do indeed seem to have a higher risk of hypertension.
What is more, according to the findings of the review — which feature in the journal Cardiovascular Research — the more severe the periodontitis, the higher the risk of hypertension.

The researchers also wanted to see whether there was any evidence of a correlation between treating periodontitis and a reduction in blood pressure.
The evidence on this issue remains inconclusive, the team notes, as only five of the 12 interventional studies that the review included found that gum disease treatment seemed to result in a decrease in blood pressure.

Is inflammation the missing link?
The investigators believe that inflammation may lie at the core of the intriguing link between oral and cardiovascular health. The oral bacteria responsible for gum disease could, they hypothesize, trigger this inflammation, which, in turn, could make hypertension more likely.

Other possible explanations could be the presence of certain genetic traits or exposure to risk factors that are common to both periodontitis and hypertension, such as a smoking habit or obesity.