How dental health after menopause is clue to life expectancy

WOMEN who lose teeth after the menopause are at a higher risk of an early death, experts have warned.

Scientists tracked 57,000 postmenopausal women for seven years and found those who suffered from gum disease were 12 per cent more likely to die during the study period.

Those who lost all their teeth were at even greater risk, with a 17 per cent increased chance of dying. Researchers say gum disease might be a warning sign of problems elsewhere in the body – particularly chronic diseases of ageing such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

It may also be that increased bacteria in the mouth actually triggers more serious health problems, with bugs getting into the gums and then spreading elsewhere in the body, the researchers said.

Study leader Dr Michael LaMonte, of the University at Buffalo in New York, said more intensive dental screening in old age could help nip problems in the bud. ‘Older

‘Triggers more serious health problems’

women may be at higher risk for death because of their periodontal [gum] condition and may benefit from more intensive oral screening measures,’ he said.

‘Beside their negative impact on oral function and dietary habits, these conditions are also thought to be related to chronic diseases of aging.’

The study, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, used data from the Women’s Health Initiative Observational Study, a long-running project monitoring US women.

Dr LaMonte said similar, smaller studies have indicated that gum disease could also be a warning sign of mortality for men. But he suggested the link might be particularly strong for women because after the menopause, oestrogen levels plummet, which can often cause bone weakening and other problems.

Tooth loss might indicate a particularly severe loss of oestrogen, he said, which can have implications for heart health, cancer and other diseases.