- Although gum disease occurs in the mouth, previous research shows that it can affect health in other parts of the body, such as the heart and bones.
- Researchers from King’s College London recently found that metformin—a common type 2 diabetes drug—can help improve clinical outcomes for non-diabetic people with gingivitis.
- The same study also found that metformin can help prevent bone loss caused by either periodontal disease or aging through both clinical trials in mice and rats.
About
Also known as gum disease, this condition occurs when the tissues that hold the teeth in place become infected. If left untreated, periodontal disease can damage the bones in the mouth and eventually lead to tooth loss.
Periodontal disease can also affect other areas of the body. Previous studies have linked gum disease to an increased risk for
Now, researchers from King’s College London have found that a common type 2 diabetes drug can help improve clinical outcomes for non-diabetic people with gum disease, as well as prevent bone loss caused by either periodontal disease or from aging, both through clinical trials in mice and .
This study was recently published in
For this study, Dr. Vitor Nevesacademic clinical lecturer, periodontist secretary at the School of Dental, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences at King’s College London and lead author of this study and his team focused on the use of a common type 2 diabetes drug called metformin.
Previous studies have examined the
This is also not the first study to look at metformin as an “anti-aging” treatment. Research published in August 2019 found that there is growing evidence to suggest that the drug offers beneficial effects
A study published in April 2021 says that metformin lowers its levels
First, the researchers tested metformin in a mouse model of periodontal disease. After the study in mice, the scientists found that metformin led to a significant prevention of bone loss during induced periodontal disease and age-related bone loss in living mice.
“What surprised me about metformin was that I was able to make my aging animals healthier and prevent 50 percent of the bone loss,” said Dr. Medical news today. “When I analyzed that data, it was the (first) time I felt, ‘Wow, there’s really something here.’
Afterwards, Dr. Neves and colleagues conducted a clinical trial with 20 study participants who all had gingivitis but did not have diabetes.
At the end of the trial, the researchers found that the participants who received metformin had improved clinical outcomes in the treatment of gum disease. In addition, metformin helped control sugar levels and inflammation in the mouth and body, even when the bacteria levels were high.
Improving aging with metformin
“Prevention starts before disease occurs, with my animal and patient data showing good metformin results even with high levels of bacteria in the mouth. “This raises the question of whether ‘just brushing your teeth’ is really the only way to prevent the development of gum disease throughout our lives,” said Dr. Neves.
“In addition to these surprising findings, my clinical data also indicate the potential use of metformin to improve the overall health of patients with gingivitis by stabilizing glucose levels, improving insulin sensitivity and controlling inflammation.” added.
“All these indicators [stabilized glucose, improved insulin, controlled inflammation] are directly correlated with aging improvement according to aging research. Therefore, it appears that oral systemic disease prevention is a good route to prevent overall systemic disease.”
— Dr. Vitor Neves
Periodontal disease occurs when bacteria is allowed to build up on the teeth, forming a sticky substance called plaque.
Most plaque can be removed with good dental hygiene — brushing twice a day and flossing once a day. If plaque remains on the teeth for too long, it can harden into a material called tartar, which can only be removed with a professional dental cleaning.
Plaque and tartar build-up on the teeth can also cause inflammation and infection of the gums, leading to gingivitis.
Let’s say that plaque and calculus are not removed from the teeth and gingivitis is not treated. In this case, the infection can travel deeper into the soft tissues around the teeth, potentially causing bone and tooth loss known as periodontitis.
The best treatment for periodontal disease is prevention by following healthy oral hygiene practices. This includes visiting a dentist for a professional teeth cleaning every six months.
If periodontal disease has occurred and become severe, a dentist may recommend a deep cleaning where plaque is removed from areas of the teeth below the gum line.
Severe cases of periodontitis may require medication and surgical treatments.
“If you go to the dentist today, the only possible treatment for gum disease is based on oral hygiene, tooth cleaning and antibiotic treatment, which are based solely on controlling the plaque – bacteria and food – that builds up around the teeth. “said Dr. Neves said MNT.
“The point is that [current treatments for gum disease] treat the disease only from the bacterial angle of the problem, ignoring the inflammation. In addition, available treatments do not help prevent other non-communicable diseases.”
— Dr. Vitor Neves
“Thus, developing innovative treatments and pathways to health systems that view patients with gingivitis as a potential patient for other non-communicable diseases can help reduce the overall burden of the disease worldwide and potentially create a new healthy geriatric generation.” , he said.
Previous studies show that periodontal disease can affect a person’s disease
Periodontal disease is also associated with inflammatorywhich is chronic inflammation that can occur with aging.
According to Dr. Neves, systemic diseases that affect overall health, such as diabetes, obesity and
“The diseases I mentioned and gum disease are all classified as non-communicable diseases, which means they develop throughout a person’s lifetime. These diseases have also been shown to be associated with people with gingivitis. In other words, people with severe gingivitis are more likely to have these conditions,” he noted.
“What our research suggests is that if we start fighting gingivitis from a systemic perspective, over time, we may be able to combat and prevent the development of other non-communicable diseases that gingivitis patients may develop in their lifetime”. added Dr. Neves.
After reviewing this study, Dr. Purnima Kumarsaid the American Dental Association spokesman and professor at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry Medical news today that as a clinician specializing in the treatment of patients with periodontal disease, he initially found this research very interesting.
“But it’s also important to keep in mind that these findings are very preliminary and have several caveats — including the fact that the majority of results are reported from animal studies,” he said.
“These findings require additional studies in larger and broader populations. In addition, because the researchers are proposing an off-label use of a drug that is only FDA-approved to help improve glycemic control in people with type 2 diabetes, more data should be gathered on any adverse effects from its use. drug in normal glycemic subjects,” he added.
When it comes to overall health, Dr. Kumar said the mouth is a window to the health of your body. He said many people fail to realize that many systemic conditions and diseases, such as heart disease and diabetes, can affect oral health systematically or through a physical inability to maintain proper oral hygiene.
“Periodontal and systemic diseases share many common risk factors, including smoking and poor diet. An important part of healthier aging is taking care of your oral health, which includes brushing your teeth twice a day, cleaning between your teeth once a day, and visiting the dentist regularly. You can find helpful information about dental health from the ADA at MouthHealthy.org.”
— Dr. Poornima Kumar
