Study Suggests Inflammation May Be Common Link Between Obesity, Gum Disease

Case Western Reserve University’s (OH) The Daily states that in a review of existing studies, researchers found “data showing increased body mass index, waist circumference and percentage of body fat to be associated with an increased risk to develop gum disease.” The researchers “concluded that changes in body chemistry affect metabolism, …

Researchers Find “Normal” Body Temperature Has Dropped

TIME states that 98.6°F (37°C) has been considered the “normal” human body temperature since 1871, but “in a paper published last week in eLife, researchers at Stanford University reported that the normal human body temperature has dropped since that time.” Looking at data “collected between 1862 and 2017,” the team …

Antibiotic Use – and Overuse

Antibiotic resistance is one of the most serious public health problems in the United States and threatens to return us to the time when simple infections were often fatal. CDC works to improve antibiotic prescribing and use in human health care, and educate patients about the importance of appropriate use. …

Vaping Can Have Similar Effect On Teeth As Cigarette Smoking

Health discusses the effects vaping may have on the teeth, featuring information from American Dental Association spokesperson Dr. Matthew Messina. Vaping adds “heat in the mouth,” Dr. Messina says, which “changes the bacterial presence in the mouth. It dries the mouth out.” Dr. Messina adds, “[The] rate of tooth decay …

Poor Oral Health In Childhood May Increase Heart Disease Risk In Adulthood

Reuters reports in continuing coverage that research suggests kids “who develop cavities and gum disease may be more likely to develop risk factors for heart attacks and strokes decades later than kids who have good oral health.” The findings were published in JAMA Network Open. Medscape reports the study authors …

New Research Strengthens Association Between Gum Disease, Alzheimer’s

Noting that a study published earlier in the year in Science Advances found Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg) may play a role in the development of Alzheimer’s, New Atlas reports researchers have “followed this line of investigation further,” exploring “the relationship between Pg and Alzheimer’s by examining brain samples of deceased subjects, both …

Periodontitis May Increase Risk Of Developing Dementia

Forbes contributor Robert Glatter, MD, states that “researchers in South Korea studied the relationship between chronic periodontitis and dementia over a 10 year period,” finding those with “chronic periodontitis had a 6% higher risk for dementia compared to those without periodontitis,” even “after controlling for behaviors such as smoking, consuming alcohol, …

Americans Spent $1.4B Last Year On Unhealthy Fruit Drinks For Kids

CNN (10/16, LaMotte) states a new report found that “Americans spent $1.4 billion on the most popular brands of children’s fruit drinks and flavored waters last year,” but “according to nutritional guidelines, none of the drinks were healthy.” The report from the University of Connecticut’s Rudd Center for Food Policy …