Study Finds Periodontitis Significantly Increases Glaucoma Risk

Researchers have found in a new study that periodontitis, a common inflammatory disease of the gums and tooth support structures, is strongly associated with open angle glaucoma (OAG), particularly in individuals aged over 40 years, men, and diabetics. The study was conducted by Jeong H. N. and colleagues published in the Journal of Glaucoma.

This cross-sectional population-based questionnaire utilized the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) data for 2010–2011 to determine whether periodontitis subjects are at greater risk of OAG, a chronic ocular condition that causes irreversible vision impairment if not treated. The finding of this study highlights that oral health could be implicated in ocular disease prevention or attenuation, especially among susceptible populations.

The research started with the assessment of 17,478 participants from the KNHANES database and narrowed the sample to 3,681 adults aged ≥19 years who had complete and valid data from dental and ophthalmologic examinations. Exclusion factors were thorough, excluding participants with a history of ocular surgeries (e.g., cataract, retina, or refractive surgery), with age-related macular degeneration, pregnant women undergoing orthodontic therapy, or with missing clinic data. The final population was stringently evaluated for periodontitis and glaucoma according to standardized definitions.

Periodontal health was determined by the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Community Periodontal Index (CPI), and glaucoma was diagnosed according to International Society of Geographical and Epidemiological Ophthalmology (ISGEO) criteria.

Key Findings

  • 197 out of 3,681 participants (4.59%) were found to have glaucoma, while 3,484 (95.41%) did not have it.

  • Among the patients with glaucoma, 80 (39.48%) also had periodontitis.

  • However, among the individuals without glaucoma, 892 (22.20%) had periodontitis.

The presence of periodontitis was strongly related to glaucoma:

  • Odds Ratio (OR): 1.53

  • 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.06–2.22

  • P < 0.001 after age, sex, diabetes (DM), hypertension (HTN), smoking, and alcohol consumption adjustment.

Subgroup analyses indicated even greater associations in specific groups:

  • For those ≥40 years old, the OR was 1.75 (95% CI: 1.18–2.61).

  • In men, the OR was 1.65 (95% CI: 1.01–2.70).

  • In diabetic patients, the OR was 2.70 (95% CI: 1.46–5.02), indicating they were almost three times more likely to have glaucoma if also diagnosed with periodontitis.

These results reinforce the developing understanding of the mouth–eye relationship and necessitate more longitudinal studies investigating causal pathways and mechanisms. Incorporation of monitoring for oral health into general health evaluations has the potential to enhance the early detection and prevention of glaucoma and perhaps other systemic conditions.

Reference:

Noh, J. H., Lee, M. Y., Yoo, C., Sung, K. R., & Kim, J. M. (2025). Relationship Between Periodontitis and Open Angle Glaucoma: The Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Journal of glaucoma, 34(8), 565–574. https://doi.org/10.1097/IJG.0000000000002584

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Hysterectomy with bilateral oophorectomy may increase risk of stroke, reveals research

Given the seriousness and increased frequency of strokes, many studies have been conducted to assess the relationship between hysterectomy and/or bilateral oophorectomy and the risk of stroke with varying results. A new study suggests women having a hysterectomy and/or bilateral oophorectomy have higher risks of stroke compared with those who did not have surgery. Results of the study are published online today in Menopause, the journal of The Menopause Society.

Stroke is the third dominant cause of death and the fourth dominant cause of disability around the world, representing a significant public health challenge. Therefore, ongoing prevention efforts that address modifiable risk factors are essential to reduce the burden of this disease.

Estrogen levels play a major role. Women of reproductive age have a lower stroke risk, whereas postmenopausal women are roughly two times more likely to have a stroke within a decade of menopause. Both hysterectomy and oophorectomy significantly affect estrogen levels. Hysterectomy may result in lower ovarian sex steroid levels, resulting in earlier menopause. An oophorectomy can reduce premenopausal serum estradiol by up to 80% and androgen levels by about 50% in both premenopausal and postmenopausal women.

Although multiple studies have previously been conducted around the relationship between surgery and stroke risk, results have been mixed. This latest study using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) included more than 21,000 women, with an average of 8.3 follow-up years, documenting 193 stroke-related deaths. The analysis of these results found an increased risk for hysterectomy with bilateral oophorectomy but not for hysterectomy alone or hysterectomy with unliteral oophorectomy. A pooling analysis of this study’s results with other cohorts, however, revealed an 18% higher risk of stroke for hysterectomy with bilateral oophorectomy, and a 5% higher risk of stroke for hysterectomy alone.

Although the new study lacked surgical indication data, meta-analysis studies show that there is no connection between a benign or malignant diagnosis when determining the associated risk of surgery. Similarly, current evidence does not differentiate the amount of risk based on specific indications (ie, endometriosis, adenomyosis, fibroids, abnormal uterine bleeding, prolapse, or other rare conditions).

Additional studies with a large sample size and longer follow-up period are needed to address the disparities of type of stroke, age at surgery, surgical techniques, and menopause status on the association between stroke risk and hysterectomy and/or bilateral oophorectomy.

Survey results are published in the article “Stroke risk in women with or without hysterectomy and/or bilateral oophorectomy: evidence from the NHANES 1999-2018 and meta-analysis.”

“The results of this study demonstrate increased stroke risk related to hysterectomy and/or bilateral oophorectomy, highlighting that these common procedures carry longer-term risks. They also call attention to an opportunity for more careful assessment of cardiovascular risk and implementation of risk reduction strategies in women who undergo these surgeries,” says Dr. Stephanie Faubion, medical director for The Menopause Society.

Reference:

Shao, C., et al. (2025) Stroke risk in women with or without hysterectomy and/or bilateral oophorectomy: evidence from the NHANES 1999-2018 and meta-analysis. Menopause. doi.org/10.1097/GME.0000000000002616

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Dehydration in elderly may increase risk of intracerebral hemorrhage and stroke: Study

A new study published in the Journal of Stroke and Cardiovascular Diseases showed that dehydration was associated with an increased risk of stroke in a large sample of persons aged 80 and over.

Stroke is still a major cause of morbidity and death globally, and early clinical status and modifiable risk factors have a significant impact on outcomes. It is becoming more widely acknowledged that dehydration, a prevalent but sometimes disregarded ailment in hospitalized and elderly patients, may have a role in the severity and recovery of stroke.

Dehydration can exacerbate ischemia damage by increasing blood viscosity, promoting thrombus formation, and impairing brain perfusion. This study looked through a sizable database to see whether dehydration and stroke are related. Adults 80 years of age and older who had medical visits prior to the pandemic, from January 1, 2018, to December 31, 2019, made up the research population.

Laboratory test data and ICD-10 diagnostic codes were used to identify the dehydration cohort. Based on ICD-10 codes, outcome measurements included one of 3 stroke types: transient ischemic attack, ischemic stroke, or intracerebral hemorrhage. A subanalysis was conducted on people with diabetes.

This study found a total of 563,476 of the 3,125,610 people aged 80 and above were dehydrated. There were 443,450 diabetics and 101,661 dehydrated people. In both groups, the dehydration cohorts were somewhat older (82.7 vs. 82.4, p <0.001), slightly more female, and non-Hispanic white.

Dehydrated people had 1.98–3.99 times the risk of stroke after adjusting for common covariates in propensity score matching: ischemic stroke (OR=1.98, 95% CI=1.9-2.07), TIA (OR=2.88, 95% CI=2.74-3.28), and intracerebral hemorrhage (OR=3.99, 95% CI=3.41-4.67). The diabetic group experienced ischemic stroke (OR=1.97, 95% CI=1.81-2.16), TIA (OR=2.81, 95% CI=2.33-3.39), and intracerebral hemorrhage (OR=6.76, 95% CI=4-11.42).

Overall, in this sizable sample of 3 million people, as well as in a subset with diabetes, a substantial correlation between dehydration and stroke was discovered. The risk of dehydration in older persons is increased by both the physiological changes associated with natural aging and drugs used to address cardiovascular stroke risk factors. Blood viscosity may account for the link between ischemic stroke and TIA, but the intracerebral hemorrhage correlation is unexpected. Future research ought to assess if better hydration results in fewer strokes.

Source:

Hamrick, I., Tuan, W.-J., Harker, P., Adogwa, O., & Hyacinth, H. I. (2025). Association between dehydration and stroke, a retrospective cohort study of a large database. Journal of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Diseases: The Official Journal of National Stroke Association, 108430, 108430. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jstrokecerebrovasdis.2025.108430

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Dual antiplatelet therapy is not more effective than aspirin alone after CABG: ESC Study

Dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) was not more effective than aspirin alone for the prevention of major adverse cardiovascular events and increased major bleeding in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), according to late-breaking research presented in a Hot Line session today at ESC Congress 20251 and simultaneously published in New England Journal Medical.

ESC Guidelines recommend DAPT with aspirin plus a P2Y12 inhibitor over single antiplatelet therapy for patients with ACS (heart attacks or unstable angina) who have undergone CABG.2 “These recommendations are mainly based on extrapolation of data from non-CABG studies, sub-studies of ACS trials and smaller randomised studies with surrogate endpoints. Data from larger randomised trials with clinically relevant endpoints are lacking. We conducted the TACSI trial to investigate whether 12 months of DAPT with ticagrelor and aspirin would reduce the risk of all-cause death and cardiovascular events compared with aspirin alone in ACS patients after CABG,” explained Principal Investigator, Professor Anders Jeppsson from Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden.

The TACSI trial was an investigator-initiated pragmatic, open-label, registry-based randomised trial conducted in all 22 cardiothoracic surgery centres in Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland and Iceland. Patients undergoing their first isolated CABG were randomised 1:1 within 3–14 days to either DAPT (ticagrelor 90 mg twice daily plus aspirin 75 mg once daily) or aspirin only (75–160 mg daily according to local protocols) for 12 months. The primary efficacy endpoint of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) was a composite of all-cause death, myocardial infarction, stroke or new coronary revascularisation within 12 months. The primary safety endpoint was major bleeding.

The 2,201 patients included had a mean age of 66 years and 14.4% were women. The primary endpoint of MACE occurred in a similar proportion of patients in each group: 4.8% of patients in the DAPT group and 4.6% in the aspirin only group (hazard ratio [HR] 1.09; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.74 to 1.60; log rank p=0.77). Major bleeding was more frequent in the DAPT group (4.9% vs. 2.0%; HR 2.50; 95% CI 1.52 to 4.11).

A key secondary endpoint of net adverse clinical events (the primary endpoint plus major bleeding) was higher in the DAPT group than in the aspirin group (9.1% vs. 6.4%; HR 1.45; 95% CI 1.07 to 1.97). A total of 0.7% of patients with DAPT and 0.2% with aspirin only died during the first year after randomisation (HR 4.01; 95% CI 0.85 to 18.9).

Concluding, Professor Jeppsson said: “Our 12-month data do not support the use of DAPT over aspirin alone in ACS patients after CABG, given the lack of improvement in MACE and the increased risk of major bleeding. However, further long-term follow-up is needed.” 

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Gout Significantly Impairs Hand Function, Comparable to Rheumatoid Arthritis, suggests study

Researchers have found in a new study that gout severely affects hand function, reducing grip strength, endurance, and dexterity due to joint and tissue changes. The level of manual impairment is nearly as significant as that seen in rheumatoid arthritis.

The aim of the study was to compare the hand function (grip strength and grip endurance, manual dexterity, and perceived hand functional disability) of participants with gout, rheumatoid arthritis, and healthy control. Grip strength and grip endurance were assessed using a hand dynamometer, while manual dexterity was evaluated through the Nine-Hole Peg Test. Perceived hand functional disability was measured using the Duruöz Hand Index. Results: The grip strength was similar between gout and healthy control (p>0.05). Dominant and non-dominant grip endurance in gout were lower than healthy control (p=0.008, p=0.001). The dominant placing, removing, and total Nine-Hole Peg Test time of gout compared to healthy control were higher (p=0.001, p<0.001, and p<0.001). The non-dominant placing, removing, and total Nine-Hole Peg Test time of gout were higher than healthy control (p=0.002, p=0.004, and p=0.002). The Duruöz Hand Index in gout was higher than healthy control (p=0.002), but lower than rheumatoid arthritis (p=0.008). The findings indicate that individuals with gout experience impairments in grip strength, manual dexterity, and perceived hand function. Assessing hand function during clinical examinations of patients with gout should be considered.

Reference:

Mete O, Apaydin H, Varol F, Gülöksüz EGA, Pamukcu M. Hand function in gout: a comparative study with rheumatoid arthritis and healthy. Rev Assoc Med Bras (1992). 2025 Jul 7;71(6):e20250054. doi: 10.1590/1806-9282.20250054. PMID: 40638474; PMCID: PMC12245048.

Keywords:

Hand, function, gout, comparative, study, rheumatoid arthritis, healthy, Mete O, Apaydin H, Varol F, Gülöksüz EGA, Pamukcu M, Revista da Associação Médica Brasileira

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Happy music could help you recover from motion sickness

Scientists studying ways of improving motion sickness have found that playing different types of music may help people recover more effectively. Using a specially calibrated driving simulator, they induced car sickness in participants and then played different types of music while they tried to recover. Soft and joyful music produced the best recovery effects, while sad music was less effective than doing nothing at all.

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Dad’s childhood passive smoking may confer lifelong poor lung health onto his kids

A father’s exposure to passive smoking as a child may impair the lifelong lung function of his children, putting them at risk of COPD—a risk that is heightened further if they are childhood passive smokers themselves—finds research published online in the respiratory journal Thorax.

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People with learning disabilities seem to progress faster to severe type 2 diabetes

People with learning disabilities progress faster to severe type 2 diabetes and are at greater risk of dying from their condition than people without these disabilities, suggests research published in the journal BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Control.

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Early aspirin discontinuation linked to benefits in low-risk MI patients undergoing PCI: ESC Study

Madri: Among low-risk patients with acute MI who underwent early complete revascularisation and received one month of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT), P2Y12 inhibitor monotherapy was noninferior to continued DAPT for adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events, while reducing bleeding risk.

These late-breaking findings were presented in a Hot Line session today at ESC Congress 2025 and simultaneously published in New England Journal of Medicine.

Current ESC Guidelines recommend 12 months of DAPT − aspirin plus a potent P2Y12 inhibitor − after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for MI.2 Principal Investigator of the TARGET-FIRST trial, Professor Giuseppe Tarantini from the University of Padua, Italy, explained: “No randomised trials have previously assessed early aspirin discontinuation in acute MI patients who achieve early, complete revascularisation with modern stents. In such cases, bleeding risk may outweigh residual ischaemic risk, making antiplatelet therapy de-escalation attractive.”

In this open-label randomised controlled trial conducted at 40 European centres, eligible adults with an ST-segment elevation MI (STEMI) or non-STEMI underwent complete revascularisation within seven days using a contemporary drug-eluting stent and completed one month of DAPT without adverse events.

They were randomised 1:1 to continue DAPT or switch to P2Y12 inhibitor monotherapy for 11 months. The primary endpoint was a composite of all-cause death, MI, stent thrombosis, stroke or Bleeding Academic Research Consortium (BARC) type 3/5 bleeding at 11 months. Noninferiority was defined as an absolute difference ≤1.25 percentage points in the upper bound of the two-sided 95% CI.

The mean age of the 1,942 randomised patients was 61 years and 21.6% were women.

The primary endpoint occurred in 2.10% of the P2Y12 inhibitor monotherapy group and 2.18% of the continued DAPT group (difference –0.09 percentage points; 95% CI –1.39 to 1.20; p=0.021 for noninferiority). MI occurred in 0.7% vs. 1.1%, definite/probable stent thrombosis in 0.1% vs. 0.0% and ischaemic stroke in 0.3% vs. 0.2%, respectively. BARC type 3/5 bleeding occurred in 0.7% in each group.

The main secondary endpoint (BARC type 2/3/5 bleeding) was significantly lower with P2Y12 inhibitor monotherapy (2.65% vs. 5.57%; hazard ratio [HR] 0.46; 95% CI 0.29 to 0.75; p=0.002).

The patient-oriented composite outcome (all-cause death, MI, stent thrombosis, stroke, repeat ischaemia-driven revascularisation or BARC type 2/3/5 bleeding) occurred in 4.5% in the monotherapy group and 7.2% in the DAPT group (HR 0.61; 95% CI 0.42 to 0.89). Therapy adherence at 11 months was high in both groups (86.9% with monotherapy and 88.6% with DAPT).

Professor Tarantini concluded: “In low-risk acute MI patients with early complete revascularisation and no complications after one month of DAPT, switching to P2Y12 inhibitor monotherapy-maintained protection from ischaemic events and reduced bleeding. These results reflect the benefits of modern stents, high procedural success and optimal medical therapy, making early aspirin discontinuation feasible in this selected population.”

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Medicaid is crucial to access treatment for opioid addiction, researchers find

Medicaid plays a key role for giving people with opioid-use disorder access to treatment, according to a Rutgers Health study. Progress in life-saving treatment for opioid-use disorder with the medication has stalled in the past several years. While some states were able to achieve substantial improvement, others lost ground.

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