INTELIHEALTH - Women with fewer teeth may be at risk for heart disease, a study says.
German researchers found that women who had lost more of their natural teeth also had heavier left ventricles. People with this enlargement of the heart have a higher risk of heart disease.
In the study, women with 24 to 28 teeth had left ventricles that weighed 165 grams. Women with no teeth had left ventricles that were 8% heavier, at about 178 grams. A normal human heart weighs about 300 grams.
The left ventricle is part of the heart. It pumps blood through the body. When blood vessels are narrowed because of fatty deposits, the heart has to work harder to pump blood. This can lead to an enlarged heart, because the heart is a muscle. Like other muscles, it gets larger when it works harder.
Last year, the same group of researchers found that men with fewer than 7 teeth were nearly twice as likely to have high blood pressure as men with nearly all of their natural teeth. The researchers did not find the same result in women, however.
High blood pressure makes the heart work harder. A heavier left ventricle often results from years of untreated high blood pressure.
In both studies, the researchers did not count wisdom teeth as missing teeth.
Other studies have shown links between poor dental health and heart disease. Researchers also have found that people with more lost teeth are at increased risk of dying.
The recent study appears in the October issue of the Journal of Hypertension.
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