SCIENTISTS, in a recent study have found an intriguing link between undetected blood sugar disorders and the development of heart attacks and severe gum disease. According to medicalnewstoday.com, the scientists in their study published in the journal, Diabetes Care, used data from a pre-existing study called PAROKRANK, which included 805 participants who had experienced a heart attack - or myocardial infarction – and 805 age- and sexmatched healthy control participants.

 

The team took blood samples from the participants and examined their blood sugar control. Using X-rays, they also evaluated the participants’ periodontal status. After excluding people who had received an official diabetes diagnosis, the researchers focused on 712 people who had experienced a heart attack and 731 control participants.

 

The scientists further classified the participants’ blood sugar control using three categories: normal, reduced, and newly detected diabetes. They then adjusted for age, sex, smoking status, education, and civil status. The team applied logistic regression and found that participants who had experienced a heart attack were twice as likely to have an undetected abnormality in blood sugar -which includes diabetes and poor glucose tolerance - as control participants.

 

The lead researcher, Dr Anna Norhammar, said undetected abnormality in blood sugar was independently associated with both heart attack and severe inflammation of the gums.

 

“Our findings indicate that abnormality in blood sugar is a key risk factor in both severe inflammation of the gums and heart attack and that the combination of severe periodontitis and undetected diabetes further increases the risk of myocardial infarction,” Norhammar said.

 

The researchers, however, cautioned about the study’s limitations, such as the low number of study participants who had severe periodontitis and undetected diabetes.