According to a new study, people with gum disease may be at higher risk for dementia.
The scientists took samples of cerebrospinal fluid (which surrounds the brain and spinal cord) and performed bacterial swabs on the gums of the volunteers.
He revealed that people with poor oral health also have higher levels of beta amyloid, a dangerous protein found in the brains of those with Alzheimer’s.
Gum disease is a common condition that has several causes, with poor oral hygiene, stress, age and smoking, all factors that increase a person’s risk.
According to the NHS, the best way to prevent and treat gum disease is a good cleaning regimen, which includes brushing your teeth twice a day for two minutes, using a good toothpaste, flossing and visits. regular to the dentist.
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Gum disease is a common condition that has several causes, with poor oral hygiene, stress, age and smoking, all factors that increase a person’s risk. One study states that people with this disease may be at higher risk for dementia
Amyloid beta proteins bind to the brain and form plaques surrounding nerve cells, inhibiting brain function and causing cognitive impairment.
But while a link between protein and dementia has been firmly established, it is only understood exactly how beta amyloid disease occurs.
One of the main theories is that proinflammatory diseases, such as gum disease, prevent the body from removing any amyloid from the brain.
To study the connection, American scientists took samples of chewing gum and cerebrospinal fluid samples from 48 healthy volunteers, all over the age of 65.
People in this age group have a higher risk of both dementia and gum disease, with 70% of those over 65 suffering from oral disease.
The scientists took samples of cerebrospinal fluid (which surrounds the brain and spinal cord) and performed bacterial swabs on healthy volunteers. He revealed that people with poor oral health also have higher levels of beta amyloid, a protein found in the brains of Alzheimer’s sufferers.
The bacterial balance for the 48 people was compared to levels of beta amyloid and tau, another protein known to patients with dementia.
The scientists determined the level of “good” bacteria, such as Corynebacterium and Actinomyces, and compared it to the presence of “bad” bacteria, including Prevotella and Porphyromonas.
The data show that individuals with more good bacteria than bad bacteria in the gums had lower levels of amyloid in the cerebrospinal fluid, indicating that they have a lower risk of dementia.
“To our knowledge, this is the first study showing an association between the unbalanced bacterial community located below the knee and a cerebrospinal fluid biomarker of Alzheimer’s disease in normal large cognitive adults,” said Dr. the lead author of the study.
“In the mouth there are harmful bacteria that promote inflammation and protective and healthy bacteria.
“We found that having brain amyloid tests was associated with an increase in harmful beneficial bacteria and a decrease.”
Researchers speculate that having many healthy bacteria in a person’s mouth can help fight inflammation and protect against Alzheimer’s.
“Our results show the importance of the overall oral microbiome, not only of the role of‘ bad ’bacteria, but also of‘ good ’bacteria, in modulating amyloid levels,” Drs. Camera.
“These findings suggest that several oral bacteria are involved in the expression of amyloid lesions.”
The researchers found no tau protein tests in samples taken from participants, even when a person had elevated amyloid levels.
As a result, they are unable to say whether tau lesions will develop in people with elevated amyloid levels or whether they will in fact continue to develop Alzheimer’s.
Researchers are now establishing a clinical trial to investigate whether improving gum health with deep cleansing can modify cerebral amyloid and prevent Alzheimer’s disease.
The study is published in Alzheimer’s and dementia: diagnosis, evaluation and control of diseases.