Oral Health and Blood Pressure: The IPC Cohort

Chronic periodontal diseases involve bacteria-induced inflammation of the tissues supporting the teeth. An inflammatory origin for hypertension has been proposed, and periodontal diseases are associated with an increased risk of vascular disease. The present study was performed to assess whether oral health conditions were associated with the risk of hypertension in adult population.

The sample comprised 102,330 subjects, who underwent medical and oral examinations between 2002 and 2011. A full-mouth clinical examination was performed using simplified plaque index, calculus index, and simplified modified gingival index to assess dental plaque, dental calculus and gingival inflammation. The number of teeth was recorded. Biological parameters, including blood pressure were assessed. A subset analysis according to age (<65 or ≥65 years) was conducted. The association between blood pressure and oral conditions was explored using a logistic regression approach.

In the sample of subject ≥65 years, no significant association was found between oral variables and the risk of hypertension. In subset <65 years, oral variables and risk of hypertension were associated. Insufficient masticatory function and missing teeth (>10) showed odds ratio (OR) = 1.20 [95% CI = 1.08-1.32] and OR = 1.17 [95% CI = 1.04-1.31], respectively. Hypertension was also associated with high level of dental plaque [OR = 1.90, 95% CI = 1.55-2.33], dental calculus [OR = 1.18, 95% CI = 1.07-1.29] and gingival inflammation [OR = 1.56, 95% CI = 1.35-1.80] Moreover, in this subset <65 years, the risk of hypertension increases with the number of dental exposure.

The present study indicates that insufficient masticatory function, poor oral hygiene, and oral inflammation are associated with hypertension in subject <65.