INTELIHEALTH - People who are on dialysis for kidney problems also have poor oral health.

A study done in Romania included 263 people. All of them needed hemodialysis. This process uses a machine to clean the blood. It is given to people whose kidneys are not working well.

Three-fourths of the people in the study had gum disease. In about one-fourth, it was severe.

Compared with those who did not have gum disease, people with gum disease tended to: be older; smoke; have diabetes; and have malnutrition. The research also found that two factors were the strongest contributors to a person's risk of gum disease: smoking and length of time on dialysis.

The researchers measured a blood protein called C-reactive protein, or CRP. High levels of CRP indicate inflammation somewhere in the body. People with severe gum disease had higher levels of CRP.

Other studies have found that people on dialysis have poor oral health.

The study appears in the January issue of the Journal of Renal Nutrition.

Source: InteliHealth News Service