Overview
- Analyses in Neurology Open Access report that people with both gum disease and cavities had an 86% higher risk of ischemic stroke compared with those with healthy mouths.
- The same cohort showed a 36% higher risk of major cardiovascular events, including heart attack and fatal heart disease, for participants with both conditions.
- Gum disease alone was associated with a 44% increase in stroke risk after adjustment for age, body mass index, smoking, and other factors.
- Participants who reported regular dental visits had 81% lower odds of having both gum disease and cavities and 29% lower odds of gum disease alone.
- The findings come from 5,986 adults without prior stroke who had a single baseline dental exam and were followed for about two decades, and a companion analysis linked gum disease to markers of white-matter brain damage.