Gum Disease can lead to High Heart Disease Risk

Bacteria that cause gum disease could also increase heart disease risk, a new study finds.

The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Florida, shows that there is a connection between gum and heart disease. Researchers hope that their findings could help accelerate heart problem diagnosis and lead to better health management.

Previous research has linked gum disease with heart problems. The American Heart Association, in 2012, published a statement saying that it supports the idea that a relation exists between the two diseases. The association, however, doesn't believe that gum problems cause heart disease.

Mice models were used in the study. The mice were infected with four types of bacteria; Porphyromonas gingivalis, Treponema denticola, Tannerella forsythia, Fusobacterium nucleatum. These bacteria are associated with gum disease. Researchers then looked at how the gum disease spreads. The team found that the disease led to an increased cholesterol and inflammation levels, which are increase heart attack risk.

"We report evidence that introduction of oral bacteria into the bloodstream in mice increased risk factors for atherosclerotic heart disease. Our hope is that the American Heart Association will acknowledge causal links between oral disease and increased heart disease. That will change how physicians diagnose and treat heart disease patients," said Irina M. Velsko, a graduate student in the University of Florida's College of Medicine, according to a news release. 

The study was presented at the annual meeting of the American Society for Microbiology. It was funded by the Institutes of Health/National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research. The research is part of a larger study that is looking into the connection between gum disease and general health.

"In Western medicine there is a disconnect between oral health and general health in the rest of the body; Dentistry is a separate field of study from Medicine. The mouth is the gateway to the body and our data provides one more piece of a growing body of research that points to direct connections between oral health and systemic health," said Kesavalu Lakshmyya at the University of Florida's Department of Periodontology in the College of Dentistry.