THURSDAY, March 7 (HealthDay News) -- For adults, losing teeth
is bad enough, but tooth loss is also associated with several
risk factors for heart disease, a large international study
suggests. These heart disease-related risk factors include
diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure and smoking. For the
study, researchers analyzed data from nearly 16,000 people in 39
countries who provided information about their remaining number
of teeth and the frequency of gum bleeds. About 40 percent of
the participants had fewer than 15 teeth and 16 percent had no
teeth, while 25 percent reported gum bleeds. For every decrease
in the number of teeth, there was an increase in the levels of a
harmful enzyme that promotes inflammation and hardening of the
arteries. The study authors also noted that along with fewer
teeth came increases in other heart disease risk markers,
including "bad" LDL cholesterol levels and higher blood sugar,
blood pressure and waist size. People with fewer teeth were also
more likely to have diabete