Middle-aged tooth loss linked to heart risk

That's according to preliminary research that analysed the impact of tooth loss in large studies of adults, aged 45 to 69 years.

Participants reported on the numbers of natural teeth they had, then in a follow-up questionnaire, reported recent tooth loss.

Adults in this analysis didn't have cardiovascular disease when the studies began.

The researchers prospectively studied the occurrence of tooth loss during an eight-year period and followed an incidence of cardiovascular disease among people with no tooth loss, one tooth lost and two or more teeth lost over 12-18 years.

They found:

In addition to other established associations between dental health and risk of disease, the authors say their findings suggest that middle-aged adults who have lost two or more teeth in recent past could be at increased risk for cardiovascular disease.