Why losing your teeth during middle-age may be harmful to your health

gloria mari

April 25, 2018 10:51 AM

It is a sign of bad health.

A US study has revealed that losing two or more teeth in middle age may signal a higher risk of heart disease.

In addition to existing links between dental heath and heart disease, the new research shows that middle aged adults who have lost two or more teeth in their recent pasts could have an increased likelihood of cardiovascular disease.

The number of teeth, a person has notwithstanding, as well as whether they have traditional risk factors such as diet or high blood pressure.

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The findings of the study were presented by Lu Qi of Tulane University in New Orleans at the 2018 American Heart Association's Epidemiology and Prevention, Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health Scientific Sessions in March.

"The relation between dental health such as tooth loss and cardiovascular risk remains unclear," Qi told Reuters Health.

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"Previous studies only investigated pre-existing tooth loss, and little is known about whether incident tooth loss during middle adulthood is associated with future cardiovascular disease."

The research analysed people from the long-term Nurses' Health Study (NHS) and Health Professionals Follow Up Study (HPFS).

The participants were aged between 45 and 69 years old and did not have heart disease.