Gum Infection May Lead To Fatal Heart Disease

 

Did you know, gum disease, also known as Periodontitis, can not only cause a host of dental problems, ranging from bad breath to bleeding and tooth loss, may also be related to much more significant conditions elsewhere in the body, including the heart-according to Hiroshima University researchers.

Research team found a significant correlation between periodontitis and fibrosis - scarring to an appendage of the heart's left atrium that can lead to an irregular heartbeat called atrial fibrillation - in a sample of 76 patients with cardiac disease. The study offers preliminary proof that periodontitis might worsen atrial fibrosis and may be a new, modifiable risk factor for atrial fibrillation.

The researchers found that the gum inflammation and heart disease may both be made worse by one another by the severity of the fibrosis. Along with lowering other risk factors like weight, activity levels, nicotine and alcohol usage, periodontal care may help with comprehensive atrial fibrillation management.

People with atrial fibrillation have a higher risk of strokes and even heart failure, both of which can be fatal.

According to Shunsuke Miyauchi, The first author of this study and assistant professor with the Hiroshima University's Health Service Center -"Periodontitis is associated with a long-standing inflammation, and inflammation plays a key role in atrial fibrosis progression and atrial fibrillation pathogenesis; We hypothesized 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." Miyauchi is also affiliated with the university's Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences.

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.

“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.

The findings published in JACC, Clinical Electrophysiology.

Source: IANS