Study Links Tooth Loss and Heart Disease

Taking Care of Teeth Good For Heart

Study Links Tooth Loss and Heart Disease

A recent study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine has, once again, linked tooth loss in adults with a greater risk of developing heart disease.

Researchers analyzed the data from the 1999 to 2002 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, an ongoing telephone survey operated by state health agencies with assistance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The study was conducted based on 41,891 adults aged 40 to 79 years old in 22 states and the District of Columbia.

Study participants who still had all of their natural teeth, 4.7 percent had heart disease.

From there, risk of heart disease increased dramatically. Those who were missing one to five teeth were 21 percent more likely to have heart disease. Heart disease increased by 60 percent among those missing six to 31 teeth, and by 81 percent among those with no remaining natural teeth.

The results of this study join the growing body of research linking gum disease and tooth loss with an increased risk of heart disease.