Older Women Who Experience Tooth Loss at Higher Risk of Hypertension

Postmenopausal women who have experienced tooth loss may be at increased risk of developing hypertension, according to a study in the American Journal of Hypertension. Reporting in the paper, “Association of Periodontal Disease and Edentulism With Hypertension Risk in Postmenopausal Women,” researchers note that 20% of the 36,692 postmenopausal women in the Women’s Health Initiative-Observational Study, who were followed annually from initial periodontal assessment in 1998 through 2015, had a higher risk of developing hypertension than other women. The association was stronger among younger women and those with lower body mass index, according to the authors. Possible reasons for the association between tooth loss and hypertension is that people experiencing with missing teeth may change their diets to softer and processed foods.