Study finds how gum infection is linked with risk of heart disease
A gum disease called periodontitis can cause a wide range of dental problems, including bleeding gums and tooth loss. The heart, according to Hiroshima University experts, may be involved in far more serious issues elsewhere in the body.
“Periodontitis is associated with a long-standing inflammation, and inflammation plays a key role in atrial fibrosis progression and atrial fibrillation pathogenesis,” said first author Shunsuke Miyauchi, assistant professor at the Japan-based Hiroshima University.
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“We hypothesised that periodontitis exacerbates atrial fibrosis. This histological study of left atrial appendages aimed to clarify the relationship between clinical periodontitis status and degree of atrial fibrosis,” he added.
Moreover, the study mentioned that the patient’s left atrial appendages were surgically removed, and the researchers analysed the tissue to determine the correlation between atrial fibrosis and gum disease severity.
They found that the worse the periodontitis, the worse the fibrosis, suggesting that the inflammation of gums may intensify inflammation and disease in the heart.
“This study provides basic evidence that periodontitis can aggravate atrial fibrosis and can be a novel modifiable risk factor for atrial fibrillation,” said corresponding author Yukiko Nakano, professor of cardiovascular medicine at Hiroshima University’s Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences.
Further, Nakano suggests that in addition to improving other risk factors such as weight, activity level, and tobacco and alcohol use, periodontal care could help manage atrial fibrillation comprehensively.
