A joint research team has found a correlation between oral health and the risk of cardiovascular disease in diabetic patients.
Diabetic patients belong to the high-risk group for cardiovascular diseases, such as myocardial infarction and stroke, requiring continuous management. Also, periodontitis, a chronic inflammatory disease, occurs frequently in diabetic patients. In addition, researches have shown that oral diseases can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease in the long term.
The team, led by Professors Kim Jin-kwon at Yongin Severance Hospital and Song Tae-jin at Ewha Womans University Seoul Hospital, conducted a study to examine the relationship between oral health and the risk of cardiovascular disease in diabetic patients.
Researchers conducted a cohort follow-up of 17,009 diabetic patients without myocardial infarction or cerebral infarction who received health checkups and oral examinations using the National Health Insurance Service data.
After following up data for 11 years, they confirmed that an adjusted hazard ratio for cardiovascular disease in diabetic patients with periodontitis was 1.17, significantly higher than those without the illness.
Also, the patients who brushed their teeth more than twice a day had a significantly lower risk of cardiovascular disease with an adjusted hazard ratio of 0.79 than those who brushed less than once a day.
The team stressed that the risk of cardiovascular disease was relatively high among students with several teeth missing or many cavities.
“For diabetic patients who are at high risk for cardiovascular disease, oral health can cause cardiovascular complications on top of dental problems,” Professor Kim said. “Diabetic patients require regular oral examinations and continuous teeth brushing activities to prevent periodontal disease and improve oral health.”
The research results were published in the November issue of Diabetes & Metabolism.