Oral hygiene is closely related to cardiovascular health. A recent study of nearly 10,000 people from China’s Guizhou province found that regular brushing reduces the risk of hypertension and type 2 diabetes, and that brushing at least twice a day may help prevent both diseases.
A multifactorial analysis showed that during an average follow-up of 6.6 years, people who brushed their teeth at least twice a day had a 45% and 35% lower risk of developing hypertension and diabetes, respectively, compared to those who hardly brushed, and those who brushed once a day had a 23% lower risk of developing hypertension.
After excluding those with less than 2 years of follow-up, those who brushed their teeth at least twice a day still had a 46% and 36% lower risk of hypertension and diabetes, respectively, compared with those who never brushed. Moreover, the reduction in risk of hypertension was more pronounced among Han Chinese, urban residents who brushed their teeth regularly.
It is worth mentioning that the study showed that residents under 60 years old and without hypertension were more likely to develop type 2 diabetes if they did not brush their teeth regularly.
It is understood that the study included 9280 adults from Guizhou province from 2010 to 2012, with follow-up until 2020. Of these individuals, about 13% brushed their teeth infrequently and 28% brushed more than once a day; the average age was 44.5 years, 47.5% were women, 66.6% were rural residents, and 58.7% were Han Chinese.
During a median follow-up of 6.6 years, 1215 developed hypertension and 767 developed type 2 diabetes mellitus.
