High blood pressure and oral hygiene. This combination was at the center of the presentation of a document by the Italian Society of Periodontology and Implantology (SIdP) and by the Italian Society of Arterial Hypertension (SIIA), presented at the SIdP national congress. We have long known that proper oral hygiene is of great importance for heart health. For example, in the case of periodontitisIf left untreated, bacteria can reach the heart through the blood, with negative consequences on its health. In the case of severe periodontitis, the risk of hypertension doubles. Experts have come up with a handbook in ten points.
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High blood pressure and oral hygiene: more effective than a low-salt diet alone
Now experts confirm that treating teeth and gums can help reduce blood pressure by up to 11 points. An amount even higher than what we can get on a low-salt diet. Of course, a low sodium diet and pharmacological therapy when prescribed remain essential for the control of hypertension. Therefore, adding the treatment of gum disease to the pharmacological strategy and the anti-hypertensive diet makes the therapy more effective and improves the management and control of the disease.
Deep hygiene significantly improves the situation
The researchers analyzed data from 100 hypertensive patients with gum disease. Experts divided them into two groups. The first had supra- and subgingival hygiene treatment, with deep pocket cleaning and professional oral hygiene. The second is just a simple surface cleaning. After two months, in the supra- and sub-gingival hygiene test group, the periodontal treatment resulted in a benefit of 11 points in lower blood pressure, with double the effectiveness of the low-salt diet.
High blood pressure and oral hygiene have common risk factors
After all, periodontitis and hypertension share several risk factors, such as obesity, sedentary lifestyle, smoking and diabetes. Being essentially two chronic inflammatory conditions they also share some groups of genes.
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