HHS HealthBeat (January 19, 2010)

Gums and diabetes

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

A study indicates gum disease could be a warning to look closer for indications of diabetes – that, if you have gum disease, you might also have other problems, such as overweight or high blood pressure.

Researcher Shiela Strauss of New York University saw that in national survey data collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

[Shiela Strauss speaks] ``More than 90 percent of people with gum disease would have been recommended by the American Diabetes Association for diabetes testing because of their risk factors.’’

Strauss says there’s evidence that gum disease is a disease marker – and also that the inflammation of gum disease can lead to other diseases.

So if you have gum disease, you might need diet and exercise as well as brushing and flossing, and dental care.

The study was in the Journal of Public Health Dentistry.

Learn more at hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: May 7, 2011