Why gum disease and chronic kidney disease affect each other

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In a new study from the University of Birmingham, researchers found an imbalance of the body’s oxygen-producing free radicals and its antioxidant cells could be the reason why gum disease and chronic kidney disease affect each other.

Periodontitis — or gum disease — is a common, inflammatory disease that causes bleeding gums, wobbly or drifting teeth and can eventually result in tooth loss.

Previous studies have shown a link between the severe oral inflammation caused by gum disease and chronic kidney disease (CKD) which demonstrated that those with worse inflammation of the gums have worse kidney function.

Previous research also showed that patients with CKD and periodontitis experience a drop in survival rates, similar in magnitude to if they had diabetes instead of gum inflammation, suggesting that gum inflammation may causally affect kidney function.

In this study, over 700 patients with chronic kidney disease were examined using detailed oral and full-body examinations including blood samples.

The aim was to test the hypothesis that periodontal inflammation and kidney function affect each other and to establish the underlying mechanism that may facilitate this.

The team showed that just a 10% increase in gum inflammation reduces kidney function by 3%.

In this group of patients, a 3% worsening in kidney function would translate to an increase in the risk of kidney failure over a 5 year period from 32%-34%.

Results also showed that a 10% reduction in kidney function increases periodontal inflammation by 25%.

The researchers found for the first time, that in this group of patients, the effect was caused by a biological process called ‘oxidative stress’ — or, an imbalance between reactive oxygen species and the body’s antioxidant capacity which damages tissues on a cellular level.

The findings suggest that even a modest reduction in gum inflammation can benefit renal function.

The team says given the relative ease of achieving a 10% reduction in gum inflammation, through simple measures like correct brushing techniques and cleaning between the teeth, these results are very interesting.

They hope that this research paves the way for further studies to see if improvements in kidney function, following periodontal care, translate to a longer, healthier life for patients with chronic kidney disease.

If you care about gum diseases, please read studies about gum disease is linked to much higher severe COVID-19 risk and death and findings of how gum disease may cause metabolic syndrome.

For more information about kidney health, please see recent studies about these unhealthy eating habits may increase your risk of dangerous kidney disease and results showing that these diabetes drugs may effectively lower kidney and heart diseases.

The study is published in the Journal of Clinical Periodontology. One author of the study is Dr. Praveen Sharma.

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