Early research suggests that hardening and narrowing of the heart’s aortic valve may also be a common cause behind severe gum disease. This may help explain the link between gum problems and poor heart health.
Scientists have long linked severe gum disease to inflammation throughout the body. Higher risk of heart problemsInvolved coronary artery diseaseDue to which the risk of heart attack may increase. Studies have also shown Treating gum disease can lead to improvement Blood vessel health.
Now, researchers suggest that porphyromonas gingivalisOne of the main bacteria involved in severe gum disease may also contribute to calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD), a condition in which calcium deposits form in the aortic valve of the heart. The findings were presented in July American Heart Association meeting in Boston and has not yet been peer-reviewed.
Dr. Elena AikawaA professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, who was not involved in the study, said the findings “fit well with our current understanding of calcific aortic valve disease as an active, inflammation-driven disease rather than simply wear and tear of the valve.”
He added that periodontal disease is only one contributor among several factors rather than being the sole cause of CAVD. But the study identifies a biologically plausible pathway linking oral health to heart health that may open new opportunities for prevention and treatment.
How do oral bacteria harm the heart?
CAVD affects millions of people around the worldAnd there are no approved medications that can slow or stop its progression. As the disease progresses, people may develop fatigue, shortness of breath, and chest pain, and in severe cases often require valve-replacement surgery.
Meanwhile, before the new research, it was known that bacteria and inflammatory signals from the mouth could sometimes enter the bloodstream and affect distant tissues. Richard Lamontchair of oral immunology and infectious diseases at the University of Louisville School of Dentistry, who was not involved in the study. Over time, he said, these effects may add up and gradually reshape how the immune system behaves.
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In CAVD, calcium builds up in the aortic valve, which connects the left side of the heart to the large artery that carries oxygen-rich blood to the body.
(Image credit: Noctilux via Getty Images)
P. gingivalis It is known to be particularly destructive to gum tissue, causing a lot of inflammation, and has been linked to heart disease in the past. To see whether the bacteria directly affected heart health, researchers at Beijing’s Fuwei Hospital looked for P. gingivalis In aortic valve tissue removed during valve-replacement surgery. They compared this diseased tissue with valves that were not calcified.
Calcified valves have very high levels P. gingivalis DNA and proteins produced by bacteria. “P. gingivalis was approximately 30 times more abundant in calcified valves than in non-calcified valves,” study first author Dr. Chenyang Lia doctoral candidate at Fuwai Hospital told Live Science in an email.
To test whether bacteria could directly contribute to valve damage, Li and colleagues injected live P. gingivalis In the bloodstream of healthy laboratory rats. The bacteria reached the animals’ aortic valve, causing inflammation, calcium buildup, and narrowing of the valve.
“We were surprised to see valve calcification even in mice without high cholesterol,” Li said. “This shows P. gingivalis “Beyond traditional cardiovascular risk factors, may contribute directly to valve disease.”
A comparison group of mice given antibiotics before the injection had less bacteria in their aortic valves and slower disease progression. Meanwhile, rats injected dead P. gingivalis The bacteria showed no changes in their aortic valves.
The researchers detected changes in the hearts of mice in interleukin-1 beta, a signaling molecule that normally helps the body fight infection. exposed to P. gingivalis The production of this molecule increased, and in turn, the immune signal switched on the genes that cause healthy valve cells to behave like bone-forming cells, that is A hallmark of CAVD. This switch causes cells to deposit calcium in the surrounding valve tissue.
When scientists blocked interleukin-1 beta in some mice, the animals developed far less valve calcification even when the bacteria reached the valves. Lamont said the experiments conducted on rats reinforce that there is a biological mechanism directly linking gum disease and heart disease. However, he cautioned that mice have very different oral microbiomes than humans, making it difficult to know whether exactly the same process occurs in people.
The team also saw the same pattern in human valve cells grown in the lab, he said. exposed to P. gingivalis Inflammation and calcium buildup between cells increased, while blocking interleukin-1 beta blunted those effects.
Both Aikawa and Lamont said more research is needed to confirm the relationship in humans. The findings give researchers a new avenue to explore future treatments, raising the question of whether targeting inflammatory signals such as interleukin-1 beta might help slow the progression of this widespread heart disease.
This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to provide medical advice.
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