A new study has revealed how gum diseases can increase the risk of mental illness and heart disease.

 A new study has revealed how gum diseases can increase the risk of mental illness and heart disease.

Continue reading to learn how important gum health is and how failing to maintain it can lead to mental illness and heart conditions

A new study has revealed how gum disease can increase the risk of mental illness and heart disease. 

Gum disease puts patients at risk of developing illnesses such as mental illness and heart disease. The University of Birmingham is conducting this study. The research was published in the 'BMJ Open Journal.' Also read: Simple Habits to Maintain Overall Well-Being and Balance the Wellness Wheel

How is the research carried out?

Experts conducted a first-of-its-kind study of 64,379 patients' GP records who had a GP-recorded history of periodontal disease, including gingivitis and periodontitis (the condition that occurs if gum disease is left untreated and can lead to tooth loss). Gingivitis affected 60,995 people, while periodontitis affected 3,384 people. The records of these patients were compared to those of 251,161 patients who had no history of periodontal disease. The average age across the cohorts was 44 years, with 43 percent being male and 30 percent being smokers. Body mass index (BMI), ethnicity, and levels of deprivation were also comparable across groups. Also read: Pregnant Women Should Not Delay Covid Vaccination, According to a Study

The researchers looked at the data to see how many patients with and without periodontal disease went on to develop cardiovascular disease (example, heart failure, stroke, vascular dementia), cardiometabolic disorders (example, high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes), autoimmune conditions (example, arthritis, Type 1 diabetes, psoriasis), and mental illness (example, depression, anxiety, and serious mental illness) over a three-year period. Also see: 10 Things to Consider When Treating Winter-Triggered Sedentary Diseases.

What Does the Evidence Show?

According to the findings of the study, patients with a documented history of periodontal disease at the start of the study were more likely to be diagnosed with one of these additional conditions over an average of three years, compared to those in the cohort without periodontal disease at the start of the study. The study's findings revealed that in patients with a history of periodontal disease at the start of the study, there was a 37% increased risk of developing mental illness, a 33% increased risk of developing autoimmune disease, an 18% increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease, and a 7% increased risk of having a cardiometabolic disorder (with the increased risk much higher for Type 2 diabetes at 26 per cent).

"Poor oral health is extremely common, both here in the UK and globally," said co-first author Dr Joht Singh Chandan of the University of Birmingham's Institute of Applied Health Research. When oral disease progresses, it can have a significant impact on one's quality of life. However, little is known about the link between poor oral health and a variety of chronic diseases, particularly mental illness. As a result, we conducted one of the largest epidemiological studies of its kind to date, using UK primary care data to investigate the link between periodontal disease and a number of chronic diseases. We discovered evidence that periodontal disease is linked to an increased risk of developing these chronic diseases. Because periodontal diseases are so prevalent, an increased risk of other chronic diseases may pose a significant public health burden."

Versus Arthritis' Centre for Musculoskeletal Ageing Research at the University of Birmingham contributed to the study, which was also supported by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre.

"Some of the biggest challenges of arthritis, especially auto-immune conditions like rheumatoid arthritis (RA), which affects 400,000 people in the UK, is knowing who is more at risk of developing it, and finding ways to prevent it," said Caroline Aylott, Head of Research Delivery at Versus Arthritis. Previous research found that people with RA were four times more likely than their RA-free counterparts to have gum disease, and that it was more severe. This study adds to the evidence that healthcare professionals should be on the lookout for early signs of gum disease and how it can have far-reaching consequences for a person's health, emphasising the importance of treating people holistically."