It has been established right since 2006 that gum disease could be an indicator of heart disease. However, the team at British Heart Foundation (BHF) has shown that gum disease may not directly lead to heart conditions.
This link between poor oral health and heart ailments has been broken essentially due to lack of evidences. The team analyzed almost 500 articles and found that a direct correlation between gum disease and heart troubles did not apparently exist.
Natasha Stewart, BHF Senior Cardiac Nurse, cited, “Though this review found no direct link, we already know there are several common risk factors between gum disease and heart disease including smoking, diabetes, and ageing. “Maintaining good oral hygiene, as well as eating a healthy diet, avoiding smoking and taking part in regular physical activity, are essential for good health including protecting your heart and gums.â€
But the point to note here is that poor oral health may still be a culprit considering both the diseases share many common risk factors. These include high blood sugar, aging, smoking and so on. The findings also do not rule out gum disease as a contributor in heart disease.
Basically, the investigators revealed that suffering from gum disease may not directly cause heart problems. Moreover, maintaining good oral hygiene by conforming to a healthy diet, restraining smoking and exercise may enhance the health in general.
The report is published in the American Heart Association (AHA) journal, Circulation.