Relationship between dental caries and risk factors for atherosclerosis in Swedish adolescents?

• In an earlier study on a selected group of adolescents with high caries prevalence we found dietary habits that resembled those considered to promote the development of atherosclerosis. In the present study we have compared DMF-score with factors traditionally associated with the risk for development cardiovascular diseases (CVD). All 15-yr-olds living in an urban community in Northern Sweden 1987-1989 were included. Medical variables related to the risk of developing CVD were evaluated in groups of adolescents with various levels of manifest caries expressed as decayed and filled surfaces (DFS). The proportion of individuals with no medical risk factor at an unfavorable level was significantly higher in a caries free than in a high-caries (DFS > or = 9) group. Adolescents with two or more medical factors reaching unfavorable levels had a significantly higher caries score than the group with no factor at unfavorable level. A significant positive correlation was found for the whole group between DFS-score and relative body weight (body mass index) in an univariate correlation test as well as multiple linear regression analysis. The hypothesis that high caries score can be an indicator for unfavorable levels of traditional risk factors for CVD is not contradicted by the results in the present study but supported by the observed covariation with BMI. We therefore suggest that dietary counseling to adolescents with a high caries score in combination with a moderate obesity can be of advantage in reducing the caries risk as well as the risk for development of CVD at higher ages.

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