Mouth bacteria can lead to heart disease more often than one would think.
A recent study in Trends in Endocrinology and Metabolism highlighted the importance of keeping the mouth free of bacteria as a way to avoid catching other diseases. The study was conducted by the Forsythe Institute and, if all goes well, new approaches to treating oral bacteria could be uncovered.
Inflammation is a major factor in issues such as periodontitis and cardiovascular disease. One of the problems with current treatment is that some over-the-counter options result in major cardiovascular side effects.
One of the ways to combat this issue could be by prescribing a cholesterol-lowering medication, such as atorvastatin, which raises blood levels of anti-inflammatory molecules called lipoxins and resolvins. This serves as a way to thwart periodontal and cardiovascular inflammation while reversing other diseases present in humans.
Thanks to this study and others, there have been many recent findings of natural pathways that resolve inflammation and provide insight into disease pathogenesis. This helps to offer new pharmacologic targets for treatment of oral and cardiovascular infections.
The goal of future studies will be to analyze how effective inflammation-reducing molecules will be in stopping or limiting periodontitis or cardiovascular disease. Also, it may be possible to determine the specific impact one of these conditions has on the other. To avoid worrying about any of these issues, it’s best if people maintain solid oral health.
