Gum infection may be a major sign of heart problems, researchers say

Cysteamine can be used to prevent heart attacks and strokes due to blood clots. (CREDIT: Creative Commons)

Periodontitis, a gum disease, can lead to a range of dental problems, from bad breath to bleeding and tooth loss. Now, researchers at the University of Hiroshima have found that it may be linked to even more serious problems in other parts of the body – the heart.

In a study published in JACC: Clinical Electrophysiology, the team found a significant correlation between periodontitis and fibrosis — scarring of the left atrial appendage that can lead to an irregular heart rhythm called atrial fibrillation — in a sample of 76 patients with heart disease. .

“Periodontitis is associated with long-term inflammation, and inflammation plays a key role in the progression of atrial fibrosis and the pathogenesis of atrial fibrillation,” said first author Shunsuke Miyauchi, associate professor at the Hiroshima University Health Center. He also works at the University’s Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and Public Health.

“We hypothesized that periodontitis exacerbates atrial fibrosis. This histological examination of the left atrial appendages aims to elucidate the relationship between the clinical status of periodontitis and the degree of atrial fibrosis.”

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Left atrial adnexa were surgically removed from patients, and researchers analyzed the tissue to establish a correlation between the severity of atrial fibrosis and the severity of gum disease. They found that the more severe the periodontitis, the more severe the fibrosis, suggesting that gingival inflammation may exacerbate inflammation and heart disease.

“This study provides key evidence that periodontitis may exacerbate atrial fibrosis and may be a new modifiable risk factor for atrial fibrillation,” said correspondent author Yukiko Nakano, professor of cardiovascular medicine at the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and Health Sciences, University of Hiroshima.

In addition to improving other risk factors such as weight, activity level, tobacco and alcohol use, periodontal care can help in the complex treatment of atrial fibrillation, Nakano says. However, she cautioned that this study did not establish a causal relationship, meaning that while the severity of gum disease and atrial fibrosis appear to be related, the researchers did not find that one definitively leads to the other. “More evidence is needed to establish that periodontitis causally contributes to atrial fibrosis and that periodontal care can reverse fibrosis,” Nakano said.

“One of our goals is to confirm that periodontitis is a modifiable risk factor for atrial fibrillation and to promote the participation of dentists in the comprehensive treatment of atrial fibrillation. Among the known risk factors for atrial fibrillation, periodontitis is an easily modifiable target at lower cost. Thus, the results of this series of studies could benefit many people around the world.”

Andreas Götte, MD (St. Vincenz Hospital, Paderborn, Germany), who wrote the editorial accompanying the published study, notes that although the data suggest a link between periodontitis and atrial fibrosis, they do not show a causal relationship. Moreover, “it is unclear whether the release of inflammatory markers around infected teeth and oral tissues into the systemic circulation directly causes atrial changes.” . “. or if other mechanisms are in play. Further research is “now warranted to show that treatment of chronic periodontitis protects the atria.”

Periodontal disease may be a risk factor for atrial fibrillation (AF) (Credit: Creative Commons)

In addition, Goett says, the study “implies that chronic oral inflammation not only correlates with the histological finding of fibrosis, but is also directly related to clinical manifestations such as stroke.”

Heart attack symptoms

According to the Mayo Clinic, the symptoms of a heart attack vary. Some people have mild symptoms. Others have severe symptoms. Some people have no symptoms.

Common symptoms of a heart attack include:

• Chest pain, which may feel like pressure, tightness, pain, squeezing, or aching.

• Pain or discomfort that radiates to the shoulder, arm, back, neck, jaw, teeth, or sometimes the upper abdomen.

• Cold sweat

• Fatigue

• Heartburn or indigestion

• Lightheadedness or sudden dizziness

• Nausea

• Dyspnea

Women may have atypical symptoms, such as short-term or severe pain in the neck, arm, or back. Sometimes the first symptom of a heart attack is sudden cardiac arrest.

Some heart attacks happen suddenly. But many people develop warning signs and symptoms hours, days or weeks in advance. Chest pain or pressure (angina) that keeps coming and doesn’t go away with rest can be an early warning sign. Angina is caused by a temporary decrease in blood flow to the heart.

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Note: Materials provided above by the University of Hiroshima. Content can be edited for style and length.

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