It's well known that oral health is strongly linked to the overall condition of the human organism, and recently, a group of scientists from China found one more connection – as it turned out, gum inflammation can increase an individual's risk of cognitive decline.
51 participants were involved in the study: 11 had healthy gums, 14 had gum disease in mild form, and 26 had moderate/severe gum disease. Researchers used MRI to observe their brain activity, and the latter group demonstrated altered connections between organ regions. The group with mild gum disease demonstrated only minor changes.
According to research authors, this phenomenon is linked to some pathogens species that are able to invade brain tissues via the circulatory system, causing an immune response. Additionally, some previous studies found that people with gum disease have high levels of amyloid beta deposits – a common marker of Alzheimer's disease.
This is one of the very first research revealing a direct link between cognitive decline and gum disease. In further works, they plan to expand this understanding, providing more insights into Alzheimer's treatment. Also, recently, we reported another scientific work demonstrating how denture use can decrease the risk of cognitive decline in older patients.
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