TOOTH LOSS ASSOCIATED WITH HIGHER RISK OF HEART DISEASE Adults who have lost teeth due to nontraumatic reasons may have a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease, according to a new study. Cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death of men and women in the United States, and previous studies have linked cardiovascular disease with oral disease. Oral disease is an inflammatory disease that frequently causes tooth loss due to the breakdown of periodontal tissue. The causal association between oral disease and cardiovascular disease is not well known, so researchers in this study looked at tooth loss not caused by trauma, as well as cardiovascular disease, including heart attack, angina and/or stroke. The study included 316,588 participants from the United States and territories between the ages of 40-79. Overall, 8 percent were edentulous (had no teeth) and 13 percent had cardiovascular disease. The percentage of people who had cardiovascular disease and were edentulous was 28 percent, compared to only 7 percent who had cardiovascular disease but did not have missing teeth. In addition to edentulous participants, those who reported having one to five missing teeth or six or more, but not all, missing teeth were also more likely to develop cardiovascular disease, even after adjusting for other factors such as body mass index, age, race, alcohol consumption, smoking, diabetes and dental visits. Presented as a service to the community by Dr. Barbara Webster 1121 Warren Ave., Suite 130, Downers Grove, IL 60515 630-663-0554 SM-CL1764321 TOOTH LOSS ASSOCIATED WITH HIGHER RISK OF HEART DISEASE Adults who have lost teeth due to nontraumatic reasons may have a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease, according to a new study. Cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death of men and women in the United States, and previous studies have linked cardiovascular disease with oral disease. Oral disease is an inflammatory disease that frequently causes tooth loss due to the breakdown of periodontal tissue. The causal association between oral disease and cardiovascular disease is not well known, so researchers in this study looked at tooth loss not caused by trauma, as well as cardiovascular disease, including heart attack, angina and/or stroke. The study included 316,588 participants from the United States and territories between the ages of 40-79. Overall, 8 percent were edentulous (had no teeth) and 13 percent had cardiovascular disease. The percentage of people who had cardiovascular disease and were edentulous was 28 percent, compared to only 7 percent who had cardiovascular disease but did not have missing teeth. In addition to edentulous participants, those who reported having one to five missing teeth or six or more, but not all, missing teeth were also more likely to develop cardiovascular disease, even after adjusting for other factors such as body mass index, age, race, alcohol consumption, smoking, diabetes and dental visits. Presented as a service to the community by Dr. Barbara Webster 1121 Warren Ave., Suite 130, Downers Grove, IL 60515 630-663-0554 SM-CL1764321