Very many people die of illnesses caused by arteriosclerosis.Even if it is saved, the increase in medical expenses such as rehabilitation and long-term care due to sequelae such as cerebral infarction and myocardial infarction has become a big social problem.In recent years, it has been reported that inflammation in the mouth, including periodontal disease, is associated with arteriosclerosis.Therefore, prevention of diseases in the mouth may reduce the risk of death associated with arteriosclerosis, but there are many unclear points at present.

　From 2007 to 2010, a large-scale epidemiological survey was conducted on citizens in Nagahama City, Shiga Prefecture, called the "Nagahama 0th Prevention Cohort Project".This study is a cross-sectional study using the information of about 1 people obtained in this first phase survey.All participants underwent dental examination and were indexed by the number of teeth lost due to persistent inflammation of the mouth such as periodontal disease.Arteriosclerosis is measured using the "cardiac ankle vascular index (CAVI)".The relationship between the number of lost teeth and CAVI was analyzed by adjusting for age, gender, body mass index (BMI), history of smoking, and the use of hemoglobin A1c, insulin or diabetes treatment.

　As a result, the number of lost teeth and the degree of arteriosclerosis were significantly related.It was also found that the tendency was stronger for men than for women.Diseases in the mouth are extremely effective in preventing arteriosclerosis, as well as reducing the number of teeth lost by regular medical examinations at the dentist's office.

　Diseases in the mouth have been reported to be associated with various diseases other than arteriosclerosis.Currently, the Nagahama 0th Prevention Cohort Project is conducting the second survey and wants to clarify the relationship between oral diseases and systemic diseases.