People with severe gum disease may be twice as likely to have increased blood pressure

That's according to new research published today in Hypertension, an American Heart Association journal.

Previous studies have found an association between hypertension and periodontitis, however, research confirming the details of this association is scarce.

Prevention and treatment of periodontitis is cost effective and can lead to reduction of systemic markers of inflammation as well as improvement in function of the endothelium (thin membrane lining the inside of the heart and blood vessels).

'Patients with gum disease often present with elevated blood pressure, especially when there is active gingival inflammation, or bleeding of the gums,' said lead study author Eva Muñoz Aguilera, D.D.S., M.Clin.Dent., senior researcher at UCL Eastman Dental Institute. 'Elevated blood pressure is usually asymptomatic, and many individuals may be unaware that they are at increased risk of cardiovascular complications. We aimed to investigate the association between severe periodontitis and high blood pressure in healthy adults without a confirmed diagnosis of hypertension.'