Pre-diabetes linked to periodontal disease

Gum disease could have a role to play in the formation and development of pre-diabetes amongst rats, according to researchers in Denmark. The study was published in the Journal of Periodontology, and shows that periodontal disease could aggravate pre-diabetes, a condition that usually leads to diabetes .
Pre-diabetes is an enormous and growing problem, with over 50 million Americans potentially suffering. Also called metabolic syndrome and syndrome X, the disease is insidious because many sufferers do not know that they have it until they are diagnosed with full-blown type 2 diabetes.
Researchers at the University of Copenhagen linked periodontal disease and diabetes, findings that highlight how important it is to take good care of teeth and gums . Being unaware and having poor dental hygiene could be one route to developing type 2 diabetes.