GUM DISEASE may be associated with high blood pressure.
This could be true in otherwise healthy individuals without high blood symptoms, concludes a study published in the journal Hypertension.
Before proceeding, a brief review of what is high blood pressure may be in order.
When the nurse or health worker takes your blood pressure, the reading is a number over another number.
The top number is the systolic blood pressure. It measures the force that the blood exerts against the artery walls every time the heart beats.
The lower number is the diastolic blood pressure which measures the force the heart exerts on the walls of the arteries in between beats.
This is why you then hear the health care worker declare, “130/80.” A measurement higher than that means high blood pressure.
The American Heart Association defines high blood pressure as a measure of 130 diastolic over 80 systolic – or higher. The standard is meant for the Americans.
It could be significantly different for Filipinos and for other individuals. It is best that you consult the doctor, nurse or the community health worker.
What is generally recommended is to check the blood pressure. It will help the doctor to recommend if changes are needed to your lifestyle and diet (less dayok or bagoong perhaps), start or change medication and so on.
“Most studies show a greater risk of stroke and heart disease related to higher systolic pressures compared with elevated diastolic pressures,” says Dr. Howard LeWine, Editor in Chief of Harvard Men’s Health Watch.
“That’s especially true in people ages 50 and older, which is why doctors tend to monitor the top number more closely. The reason for the difference in risk may be related to the force put on the arteries when blood rushes out of the heart.”
Now to continue with the link between gum disease and high blood pressure.
“Patients with gum disease often present with elevated blood pressure, especially when there is active gingival inflammation, or bleeding of the gums,” says Dr. Eva Muñoz Aguilera, a dentist and Clinical Lecturer at the Eastman Dental Institute, University College London.
Elevated blood pressure is usually asymptomatic or without symptoms, she said, pointing out that many individuals may be unaware that they are at increased risk of cardiovascular complications.
She and co-researchers started to investigate the association between severe periodontitis and high blood pressure in healthy adults without a confirmed diagnosis of hypertension.
To investigate the association between inflammatory gum disease and blood pressure, the researchers compared 250 patients with periodontitis with another group of 250 patients.
Compared with the latter group, people with periodontitis had higher mean differences in systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure.
Diagnosis of gum disease was associated with greater odds of systolic blood pressure of at least 140 when measured against the control group of patients used for comparison.
“The evidence indicates that periodontal bacteria cause damage to the gums and also triggers inflammatory responses that can impact the development of systemic diseases including hypertension,” said Dr. Francesco D’Aiuto, a dentist and Head of the Periodontology Unit at Eastman Dental Institute.
“This would mean that the link between gum disease and elevated blood pressure occurs well before a patient develops high blood pressure,” he said.
He recommends the integration of hypertension screening by dentists as well as gum disease screening by medical doctors. Both health professionals then refer cases to the other to improve detection and treatment of both conditions.
This way, it improves oral health and “reduce the burden of hypertension and its complications,” Dr. D’Aiuto said.
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Dr. Joseph D. Lim is the former Associate Dean of the UE College of Dentistry, former Dean of the College of Dentistry, National University, past president and honorary fellow of the Asian Oral Implant Academy, and honorary fellow of the Japan College of Oral Implantologists. Honorary Life Member of Thai Association of Dental Implantology. For questions on dental health, e-mail jdlim2008@gmail.com or text 0917-8591515./PN
