Private MD News

Researchers find a link between prostate problems and gum disease

Category: Prostate

Men at high risk for developing prostate problems may want to pay more attention to their dental hygiene, as a recent study suggests there may be a link between gum disease and poor prostate health.

Researchers from Case Western University believed that, due to other studies which suggested a possible connection between gum disease and other health problems like heart disease and diabetes, there might also be a link to prostate problems.

The results showed that men who had swelling in their gums were more likely to have inflamed prostates.

Lead researcher Nibal Bissada said that prostate activity itself does not always explain why some men have inflamed prostates, and that this link may shed light on a cause of prostate problems.

"It is something outside the prostate gland that is causing an inflammatory reaction," he said.

Government figures show that more than 200,000 men developed prostate cancer in 2006, the most recent year statistics were available.