Tooth Loss Is Mortality Risk in Diabetics
August 25, 2010
By Nancy Volkers
InteliHealth News Service
INTELIHEALTH - Diabetics who have lost all of their teeth have a 50% greater risk of death than similar-aged diabetics who have most of their teeth.
Researchers from The George Institute for International Health in Sydney, Australia, did the study. They used information from a large study of adults with type 2 diabetes. It included nearly 11,000 people, ages 55 to 88.
People's teeth were counted at the start of the study. They also answered questions about how often their gums bled. Researchers kept track of the people for 5 years and recorded deaths and the causes of death.
Bleeding gums were not linked with an increased risk of death. But compared with people who had at least 22 teeth, diabetics with no teeth had greater risks of:
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Death from all causes combined (48% increased risk)
- Death from heart and blood vessel disease (35% increased risk)
- Death from causes other than heart and blood vessel disease (64% increased risk)
Diabetics are already more than twice as likely to have heart problems as those without diabetes. This risk is even higher if blood-sugar levels are not well controlled.
Severe periodontal disease can cause tooth loss. There are other causes, however, including tooth decay and injury. The people in this study were not asked why they were missing teeth.
The study appears in the August 11 issue of the journal Diabetologia.
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