Placeholder canvas

Are you taking good care of your oral health? The risks of liver cancer are higher, if not

Date:

Poor oral health is associated with a 75% increased risk of the most common form of liver cancer, new research has found.

The study, by researchers at Queen’s University Belfast, analysed a large cohort of over 4,69,000 people in the UK, investigated the association between oral health conditions and the risk of a number of gastrointestinal cancers, including liver, colon, rectum and pancreatic cancer.

Models were applied to estimate the relationship between cancer risk and self-reported oral health conditions, such as painful or bleeding gums, mouth ulcers, and loose teeth.

Whilst no significant associations were observed on the risk of the majority gastrointestinal cancers and poor oral health, a substantial link was found for hepatobiliary cancer.

“Poor oral health has been associated with the risk of several chronic diseases, such as heart disease, stroke, and diabetes,” explained Dr Haydee WT Jordao, from the Centre of Public Health at Queen’s University Belfast and lead author of the study.

“However, there is inconsistent evidence on the association between poor oral health and specific types of gastrointestinal cancers, which is what our research aimed to examine,” continued Dr Haydee.

ALSO READ: Is binge watching your favorite pastime? Think again, it has long…

Of the 469,628 participants, 4,069 developed gastrointestinal cancer during the (average) six-year follow up. In 13per cent of these cases, patients reported poor oral health.

Participants with poor oral health were more likely to be younger, female, living in deprived socioeconomic areas and consumed less than two portions of fruit and vegetables per day.

The biological mechanisms by which poor oral health may be more strongly associated with liver cancer, rather than other digestive cancers, is currently uncertain.

One explanation is the potential role of the oral and gut microbiome in disease development.

“The liver contributes to the elimination of bacteria from the human body. When the liver is affected by diseases, such as hepatitis, cirrhosis or cancer, its function will decline and bacteria will survive for longer and therefore have the potential to cause more harm. One bacteria, Fusobacterium nucleatum, originates in the oral cavity but its role in liver cancer is unclear. Further studies investigating the microbiome and liver cancer are therefore warranted,” stated Dr Haydee WT Jordao.

Another theory in explaining the higher cancer risk due to poor oral health suggested that participants with a high number of missing teeth may alter their diet, consuming softer and potentially less nutritious foods, which in turn influence the risk of liver cancer.

(With ANI inputs)

For viral videos and Latest trends subscribe to NewsMobile YouTube Channel and Follow us on Instagram

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Share post:

Subscribe

Popular

More like this
Related

IPL 2024: Stoinis’ Brilliant Century Guides LSG To Six-Wicket Victory Over CSK In Thrilling Chase

Chennai: Marcus Stoinis played a pivotal role with a...

Hush Money Trial: Trump Accused Of ‘Willful’ Violations Of Gag Order In Criminal Case

Former President Donald Trump faced accusations on Tuesday of...

Congress Tried To Give Reservation To Muslims By Reducing SC/ST Quota: PM Modi In Rajasthan

Tonk: Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a strong criticism...

Strong, Unified ASEAN Can Play Constructive Role In Indo-Pacific: EAM Jaishankar

New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar emphasized the...