- ALLERGY, RESPIRATORY
- Asthmatics Who Quit Smoking May Reverse Lung Damage
- Know Your Asthma Triggers
- Childhood Food Allergies on the Rise
- ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE
- Indigo Ointment Benefits Psoriasis Patients
- Pharoah's Wine Jar Yields Medicinal Secrets
- Soybean Chemicals May Reduce Effects of Menopause
- ANIMAL CARE
- Beware of Dog Bites
- 'Comfort Dogs' Come to Emotional Rescue
- Rest Easy. When It Comes to Swine Flu, Your Pet Is Safe
- BONES & JOINTS
- Tai Chi May Help Ward Off Knee Pain in Seniors
- A Winning Strategy to Beat Spring Sporting Injuries
- Weight Loss Might Not Curb Knee Arthritis
- CANCER
- U.S. Reported 25,000 Cases of HPV-Related Cancers Annually
- Steady Weight Gain Boosts Late-Life Breast Cancer Risk
- Seaweed May Help Treat Lymphoma
- CAREGIVING
- Hospital Practices Influence Which Moms Will Breast-Feed
- New Guidelines for Treating Heart Failure
- Caring for Aging Loved Ones Can Be a Catch-22
- CIRCULATORY SYSTEM
- Support Network May Play Role in Benefits of Drinking
- Bad Marriages Harder on Women's Health
- Obesity Linked to Heart Failure Risk
- COSMETIC
- What to Do If You Have Unsightly Veins
- Get Sugared!.... Its a sweet choice for hair removal
- Mouse Study Finds Molecule That Tells Hair to Grow
- DENTAL, ORAL
- Periodontal Disease Impacts Whole Health
- Rheumatoid Arthritis May Harm Gums
- Good Oral Hygiene May Protect Against Heart Infections
- DIABETES
- Older Diabetics With Depression Face Higher Death Rate
- Treatment for Type 2 Diabetes Updated
- Drug May Not Help Diabetes-Related Eye Damage
- DIET, NUTRITION
- Mediterranean Diet May Help Prevent Depression
- Fruit Even Healthier Than Thought: Study Shows
- Myrrh May Lower High Cholesterol
- DISABILITIES
- Review Finds Marijuana May Help MS Patients
- Could Your Cell Phone Help Shield You From Alzheimer's?
- ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
- Are Medical Meetings Environmentally Unfriendly?
- Gas Cooking Might Up Your Cancer Risk
- Ozone Pollution Taking Toll on American Lives
- EYE CARE, VISION
- Diabetic Hispanics Missing Out on Eye Exams
- Clues Found to Brain Mechanism Behind Migraines
- High Temps Degrade Contact Lens Solution: Study
- FITNESS
- You Can Get Great Exercise In The Garden
- Diet, Exercise May Slow Kidney Disease Progression
- Early Exercise Boosts Outcomes for ICU Patients
- GASTROINTESTINAL PROBLEMS
- Traditional Nonsurgical GERD Treatments Not Impressive
- Japanese Herbals May Ease Gastro Woes
- Bowel Prep Harder on Women Than Men
- GENERAL HEALTH
- Hoping for a Happy Family Holiday? Here's How
- Sleep and Do Better
- Go To Work But Skip The Car
- HEAD & NECK
- Ski Helmets Encouraged for All
- Many Children Will Outgrow Headaches
- Zen May Thicken Brain, Thwart Pain
- HEALTH & TECHNOLOGY
- Imaging Sheds Light on How Acupuncture Works
- 'Cell Phone Elbow' -- A New Ill for the Wired Age
- Save Your Aging Brain, Try Surfing The Web
- HEART & CARDIOVASCULAR
- Implanted Defibrillators Boost Long-Term Survival
- Arteries Age Twice as Fast in Smokers
- Small Cuts in Salt Intake Spur Big Drops in Heart Trouble
- INFECTIOUS DISEASE
- Bacterial Infections May Succumb to Honey
- Viral Infection Might Trigger High Blood Pressure
- Chinese 'Devil Dung' Plant Could Be a Swine Flu Fighter
- KID'S HEALTH
- Winter's Bitter Cold Poses Health Dangers
- School Phys. Ed. Injuries Up 150 Percent
- Too Many Infants Short on Vitamin D
- MEN'S HEALTH
- Drinking Green Tea May Slow Prostate Cancer
- Noise Hurts Men's Hearing More, Study Shows
- Eating Fast Until Full Triples Overweight Risk
- MENTAL HEALTH
- Breast-Fed Baby May Mean Better Behaved Child
- Worries About Weight Are Tied to Teen Suicide Tries
- Massage Fosters Healing in Bereaved Relatives
- PREGNANCY
- Before Conceiving, Take Folic Acid for One Full Year
- Mom's Extra Pregnancy Pounds May Raise Child's Heart Risks
- Pre-Pregnancy Weight Linked to Babies' Heart Problems
- SENIORS
- Tai Chi May Help Ward Off Knee Pain in Seniors
- Eating Well And Keeping Active As You Grow Old Will Help You Stay Sharp
- Seniors Who Volunteer May Live Longer
Obesity Boosts Gum Disease Risk
By eHolistic.com Published: 04/04/2009
SATURDAY, April 4 (HealthDay News) -- Obese adults are at higher risk of gum disease than are normal-weight people, a new study finds.
For many years, researchers have been trying to determine the link between gum disease and cardiovascular risk, said study author Monik Jimenez, a doctoral candidate at the Harvard School of Public Health.
To explore the possible connection between excess weight and periodontal problems, Jimenez and her colleagues analyzed data from nearly 37,000 men who participated in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study. They were free of periodontal disease at the beginning of the study and were followed for up to 16 years, from 1986 to 2002.
Researchers gathered information on the men's height, weight and self-reported gum disease diagnoses, as well as their waist and hip measurements.
"Obesity was associated with a 29 percent increased risk of periodontal disease over the course of the study" compared to those of normal weight, Jimenez said. She used the standard definition of obesity as a body-mass index of 30 or higher.
"There was a negligibly small risk" of gum disease among those who were overweight but not obese, she said.
Waist circumference was linked to a higher risk of gum disease, too. Men with a waist of 40 inches or more -- considered a risk for heart disease -- had a 19 percent higher risk of getting gum disease than those with a waist under 40 inches.
In a second study, Jimenez and her colleagues at the University of Puerto Rico in San Juan found that an elevated waist-hip ratio (WHR) was linked to a greater risk of moderate gum disease in men and women age 70 and above.
Those with an elevated waist-to-hip ratio were nearly six more likely to have gum disease as those who did not have an elevated waist-to-hip ratio. In women, the waist-to-hip ratio is considered elevated if it is .88 or above; in men, if it is .95 or higher. For instance, a woman with a 36-inch waist and 40-inch hips has a WHR of .90.
Jimenez is scheduled to present the findings Saturday at the International Association for Dental Research general session in Miami Beach, Fla.
The findings build on previous research, said David Cochran, president of the American Academy of Periodontology and chairman of the Department of Periodontics at the University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio.
"It's been known that diabetics' gum disease is worse," he said. There have been other associations uncovered, such as heart disease and gum disease and gum disease and cancer risk in men. In a previous study, researchers found a link between obesity and gum disease in younger people.
>Gum diseases include a mild form called gingivitis, in which gums bleed easily. But that can progress to periodontitis, in which bacteria in the plaque irritate the gums and provoke an inflammatory response, according to the American Academy of Periodontology.
The common denominator may be inflammation, Cochran said. "Periodontal inflammation and inflammation throughout the body are very much associated with one another," he said.
While the new studies don't prove cause-and-effect, Cochran said it's reason enough to recommend a heart-healthy diet that's also good for your gums.
-Kathleen Doheny
More information
To assess your risk of gum disease, visit the American Academy of Periodontology.
SOURCES: Monik Jimenez, doctoral candidate, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston; David Cochran, D.D.S., Ph.D., president, American Academy of Periodontology, and professor and chairman, department of periodontics, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio; April 4, 2009, presentation, International Association of Dental Research general session, Miami Beach, Fla.
Last Updated: April 05, 2009
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