Gum disease has been linked to Alzheimer's disease in a new study that connects periodontitis with greater rates of cognitive decline.
The
gum disease study by King's College London and the University of Southampton was published this week in the medical journal
PLOS ONE. It said higher level of periodontal bacteria antibodies are tied to an increase in levels of inflammatory molecules elsewhere in the body, which has been linked to greater rates of cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease in other studies.
"We aimed to determine if periodontitis in Alzheimer's disease is associated with both increased dementia severity and cognitive decline, and an increased systemic pro inflammatory state," the study said.
"In a six-month observational cohort study, 60 community dwelling participants with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease were cognitively assessed and a blood sample taken for systemic inflammatory markers."
The researchers said they found that mechanisms linked to the body's inflammatory response could possibly be the reason for gum disease's association with an increase in cognitive decline.
"These are very interesting results which build on previous work we have done that shows that chronic inflammatory conditions have a detrimental effect on disease progression in people with Alzheimer's disease, said Clive Holmes, one of the study's authors, from the University of Southampton.
"Our study was small and lasted for six months so further trials need to be carried out to develop these results. However, if there is a direct relationship between periodontitis and cognitive decline, as this current study suggests, then treatment of gum disease might be a possible treatment option for Alzheimer's."
The Daily Mail said previous studies suggested that people who brushed their teeth less than once a day were 65 percent more likely to develop dementia than those who brushed their teeth three times a day.
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