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A new study suggests that people with\u00a0gum disease<\/strong>\u00a0(periodontitis) have a greater likelihood of suffering from high blood pressure or vice versa.<\/p>\n The study investigated\u00a0gum disease<\/strong>\u00a0as a potential risk factor for hypertension, but the reverse could also be true, warn researchers. \u201cFurther research is needed to examine whether patients with high blood pressure have a raised likelihood of gum disease. It seems prudent to provide oral health advice to those with hypertension,\u201d said professor Francesco D\u2019Aiuto from UCL Eastman Dental Institute in the UK.<\/p>\n High blood pressure affects 30-45 per cent of adults and is the leading global cause of premature death, while periodontitis affects more than 50 per cent of the world\u2019s population.<\/p>\n \u201cWe observed a linear association \u2013 the more severe periodontitis is, the higher the probability of hypertension. The findings suggest that patients with gum disease should be informed of their risk and given advice on lifestyle changes to prevent high blood pressure such as exercise and a healthy diet,\u201d said D\u2019Aiuto in the paper published in\u00a0Cardiovascular Research<\/em>, a journal of the European Society of Cardiology.<\/p>\n Hypertension could be the driver of heart attack and stroke in patients with periodontitis.<\/p>\n \u201cPrevious research suggests a connection between periodontitis and hypertension and that dental treatment might improve blood pressure, but to date, the findings are inconclusive,\u201d the researchers noted.<\/p>\n This study compiled the best available evidence to examine the odds of high blood pressure in patients with moderate and severe gum disease.<\/p>\n A total of 81 studies from 26 countries were included in the meta-analysis.<\/p>\n Moderate-to-severe periodontitis was associated with a 22 per cent raised risk for hypertension, while severe periodontitis was linked with 49 per cent higher odds of hypertension.<\/p>\n Average arterial blood pressure was higher in patients with periodontitis compared to those without. An average 5 mmHg blood pressure rise would be linked to a 25 per cent increased risk of death from heart attack or stroke, the researchers noted.<\/p>\n