Dental Care Improves Cardiovascular Health Among Women
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Dental Care Improves
Cardiovascular Health Among Women
Women’s cardiovascular health stands to reap significant
benefits from dental care, according to a study issued by the University of
California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley). The report indicates the risk of
cardiovascular problems—including heart attack and stroke—drops by at least
one-third for women who receive dental care, with much of the benefit thought
to be associated with the effects of routine dental hygiene care.
Approximately 7,000 subjects participated in the study,
which measured data gathered from adults aged 44 to 88 years. The positive news
the research uncovered for women contrasts with data taken from the same report
that found men do not enjoy similar benefits to cardiovascular health.
The disparity of cardiovascular health benefits between men
and women was not unexpected, researchers say, citing previous research that
identified gender gaps associated with cardiovascular disease markers and oral
health. Unlike previous studies, however, the UC Berkeley study investigated the
actual occurrence of cardiovascular events rather than the presence of disease
markers.
Lead author of the study, Timothy Brown, PhD, assistant
adjunct professor of health policy and management at UC Berkeley’s School of
Public Health, says though previous research has uncovered relationships
between dental care and cardiovascular disease, “our study is the first to show
that general dental care leads to fewer heart attacks, strokes, and other
adverse cardiovascular outcomes in a causal way.”
The findings are thought to reflect the different
developmental paths cardiovascular disease takes between men and women.
Previous studies have shown estrogen guards against development of
atherosclerosis, which can protect women against some cardiovascular disease until
after menopause, when estrogen levels drop.
For dental care to provide its greatest benefit, researchers
note treatment should be provided when cardiovascular disease is in its early
stages of development.
The type of dental treatment credited with providing the
cardiovascular health benefits to women was not detailed in the study, which
only reported whether dental visits had occurred. Researchers felt it was
reasonable to assume, however, that for most individuals in the sample group
typical dental visits would include prophylaxis, fluoride and sealant
treatments, as well as other preventive services.
Source: University of California, Berkeley
