Gum disease raises risk of developing Alzheimer’s

The research, published in Alzheimer's Research & Therapy, looked at more than 25,000 people to examine whether patients age 50 or older with chronic periodontitis had an increased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.

Although they did not determine any direct causal link between the two diseases they did discover that people who suffered from long standing gum disease, of ten years of more, were up to 70 per cent more likely to then develop Alzheimer’s disease.

The Oral Health Foundation has long recognised close links between poor oral health and general health and believes that, by paying closer attention to our mouth, we will be able to better maintain overall health later in life.

Nigel Carter OBE, CEO of the Oral Health Foundation, spoke on the implications of this research. He said, “The links between oral health and diseases which affect other parts of our body are becoming increasingly apparent with every new piece of research. Studies such as this can be hugely significant in helping us to understand how we can maybe help reduce our risk of developing different diseases and, as a result, improve the lives of millions of people in the future.