Packing on Pounds Impacts the Gums

(Ivanhoe Newswire) – These days, obesity is being blamed for everything from diabetes to high blood pressure. But gum disease?

Researchers who followed men taking part in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study say the answer is yes. Their analysis of 16 years worth of data shows men who were obese at the beginning of the follow-up were 25 percent more likely to develop periodontal disease than men of normal weight. Men who continued to be obese throughout the study were 29 percent more likely. For the study, obesity was defined as having a body mass index of greater than 30.

The investigators also looked at waist circumference in the study participants to see if bigger waistlines would also predict periodontal disease. Results showed a waist circumference of more than 40 inches upped the risk for gum disease by 19 percent. Waist circumference and obesity remained significant risk factors even after the investigators accounted for diabetes and smoking.

The authors say this is the first evidence linking obesity with periodontal disease. Since both conditions are common in people today, they suggest more should be done from a public health standpoint to address the problem.

SOURCE: Presented at the 87th General Session of the International Association for Dental Research April 4, 2009

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