- Although gum disease occurs in the mouth, previous studies show 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 gum disease.
- The same study also found that metformin can help prevent bone loss caused by periodontal disease or aging, both in mice and in clinical trials.
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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 of
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 help prevent bone loss. caused by periodontal disease or aging, through clinical and mouse trials. .
This study was recently published in
For this study, Dr. Vitor Neves, academic clinical lecturer, periodontology registrar in the Faculty of Dentistry, Oral and 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
This is also not the first study to look at metformin as an ‘anti-aging’ therapy. Research published in August 2019 found that there is growing evidence to suggest that the drug provides beneficial effects in
A study published in April 2021 says that metformin lowers levels of
First, the researchers tested metformin in a mouse model of periodontal disease. After the mouse study, scientists found that metformin led to significant prevention of bone loss during induced periodontal disease and age-related bone loss in living mice.
“What surprised me about metformin was the ability to make my aging animals healthier and (prevent) 50% of bone loss,” said Dr. Neves. Medical News Today. “When I analyzed that data, it was the (first) time I felt, ‘Wow, there’s really something here.’
Then, Dr. Neves and his colleagues conducted a clinical trial with 20 study participants, all of whom had gum disease but did not have diabetes.
At the end of the trial, the researchers found that the participants who took 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 results from metformin even with high levels of oral bacteria. This raises the question of whether ‘brushing alone’ is really the only way to prevent the development of gum disease throughout our lives,” said Dr. Neves.
“In addition to those surprising findings, my clinical data also point to the potential use of metformin to improve the overall health of patients with gum disease, due to the stabilization of glucose levels, improved insulin sensitivity and control of inflammation,” he. added.
“All of these markers (stabilized glucose, improved insulin, controlled inflammation) are directly related to improved aging according to aging research. Therefore, it appears that oral prevention of systemic disease is a good way to prevent overall systemic disease.”
– Dr Vitor Neves
Periodontal disease occurs when bacteria are 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 stays on the teeth for too long, it can harden into a material called tartar, which can only be removed through professional teeth cleaning.
Plaque and tartar build-up on the teeth can also inflame and infect the gums, leading to gingivitis.
Assume that plaque and calculus are not removed from the teeth and gingivitis is not treated. In that 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 the dentist for a professional teeth cleaning every six months.
If periodontal disease has occurred and become serious, 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 treatment.
“If you go to the dentist today, the only possible treatment for gum disease is based on oral hygiene, tooth cleaning and antibiotic therapy, which are based only on controlling the plaque – bacteria and food – that accumulates around the teeth,” said Dr. – said Neves MNT.
“The point is that (current treatments for gum disease) only treat the disease from the bacterial side of the problem, ignoring the inflammation. Furthermore, available treatments do not help prevent other non-communicable diseases.”
– Dr Vitor Neves
“Thus, developing new therapies and pathways within health systems that view patients with gum disease as a potential patient for other non-communicable diseases can help reduce the overall burden of disease worldwide and potentially create a new healthy geriatric generation,” he said.
Past studies show that periodontal disease can affect a person
Periodontal disease is also associated with inflammation, which is chronic inflammation that can occur with aging.
According to Dr. Neves, systemic diseases that affect general 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 the lifespan. These diseases have also been shown to be associated with people with gum disease. In other words, people with severe gum disease are more likely to have these conditions,” he noted.
“What our study suggests is that if we start fighting gum disease from a systemic perspective, over time, we may be able to fight and prevent the development of other non-communicable diseases that gum disease patients develop. gums can develop during their lifetime.” added Dr. Neves.
After reviewing this study, Dr. Purnima Kumar, spokeswoman for the American Dental Association and a professor at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry, said Medical News Today as a clinic specializing in the treatment of patients with periodontal disease, she initially found this research very intriguing.
“But it’s also important to note that these findings are very preliminary and have some caveats — including the fact that most of the results are reported from animal studies,” she said.
“These findings require additional studies in larger and broader populations. Additionally, 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 will need to be collected. for any adverse reaction to the use of this. drug in normoglycemic people,” she added.
When it comes to overall health, Dr. Kumar said the mouth is a window into the health of your body. She said many people fail to realize that some systemic conditions and diseases, such as heart disease and diabetes, can affect oral health systemically 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 healthy 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 dental health information from the ADA at MouthHealthy.org.”
— Dr. Purnima Kumar
