People with gum disease may be at increased risk of dementia, according to a new study.
Scientists took samples of cerebrospinal fluid — which surrounds the brain and spinal cord — and performed bacterial swabs on the gums of volunteers.
It revealed people with poor oral health also have higher amyloid beta levels, a dangerous protein found in the brain of Alzheimer’s sufferers.
Gum disease is a common affliction which has a range of causes, with poor oral hygiene, stress, age and smoking all factors which increase a person’s risk.
The best way to prevent and treat gum disease, according to the NHS, is a good cleaning regimen, including brushing teeth twice a day for two minutes, using a good toothpaste, flossing, and regular visits to the dentist.
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Gum disease is a common affliction which has a range of causes, with poor oral hygiene, stress, age and smoking all factors which increase a person’s risk. People with the condition may be more at risk of dementia, a study claims
Beta amyloid proteins clump together in the brain and form plaques which surround nerve cells, inhibiting brain function and leading to cognitive decline.
But while a link has been firmly established between the protein and dementia, exactly how beta amyloid causes the disease remains only partially understood.
One leading theory is that proinflammatory diseases, such as gum disease, prevent the body from flushing out any amyloid from the brain.
To study the connection, American scientists took gum swabs and cerebrospinal fluid samples from 48 healthy volunteers, all aged over 65.
People in this age group are at increased risk of both dementia and gum disease, with 70 per cent of over-65s suffering from the oral condition.
Scientists took samples of cerebrospinal fluid — which surrounds the brain and spinal cord — and performed bacterial swabs on healthy volunteers. It revealed people with poor oral health also have higher amyloid beta levels, a protein found in the brain of Alzheimer’s sufferers
Bacteria balance for all 48 people was compared to levels of beta amyloid and tau, another protein known to be present in dementia patients.
Scientists determined the level of ‘good’ bacteria, such as Corynebacterium and Actinomyces, and compared it with the presence of ‘bad’ bacteria, including Prevotella and Porphyromonas.
Data shows that individuals with more good bacteria than bad bacteria in their gums had lower levels of amyloid in their cerebrospinal fluid, indicating they are less at risk of dementia.
‘To our knowledge, this is the first study showing an association between the imbalanced bacterial community found under the gumline and a cerebrospinal fluid biomarker of Alzheimer’s disease in cognitively normal older adults,’ said Dr Angela Kamer from the New York University College of Dentistry and the study’s lead author.
‘The mouth is home to both harmful bacteria that promote inflammation and healthy, protective bacteria.
‘We found that having evidence for brain amyloid was associated with increased harmful and decreased beneficial bacteria.’
The researchers speculate that having lots of healthy bacteria in a person’s mouth may help fight off 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 ‘good’ bacteria – in modulating amyloid levels,’ said Dr Kamer.
‘These findings suggest that multiple oral bacteria are involved in the expression of amyloid lesions.’
Researchers did not find evidence of tau proteins in the samples taken from the participants, even when a person had high amyloid levels.
As a result they are unable to say whether tau lesions will develop in the people with high amyloid levels, or if they will in fact go on o develop Alzheimer’s.
The researchers are now setting up a clinical trial to investigate if improving gum health with deep cleans can modify brain amyloid and prevent Alzheimer’s disease.
The study is published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment & Disease Monitoring.
