Periodontal disease is likely to be a risk factor for atrial fibrillation, according to a
recent study from researchers at Japan’s Hiroshima University, published Oct. 31. The study underlines the link between oral health and heart health.
The study, published in the American College of Cardiology’s journal Clinical Electrophysiology, detailed a small group of patients with atrial fibrillation who were scheduled for cardiac surgery. The researchers found that patients with periodontitis symptoms were much more likely to have atrial fibrosis, the condition associated with atrial fibrillation.
A potential cause of the connection, the report said, is long-standing, low-level inflammation. That inflammation leads to the spillover of inflammatory mediators from periodontal tissues, which, in turn, aggravates atrial fibrillation.
Periodontal disease is the second most common oral disease after tooth decay and the
11th most common disease in the world. Over 47 percent of adults over the age of 30 have this disease, and 70 percent of those over the age of 65 have moderate or severe periodontal disease. The condition is often overlooked.
The recent study reaffirms a link that has long been acknowledged. Multiple studies have shown that poor oral health increases—sometimes dramatically—the risk of cardiovascular events and stroke.
A
review by a multinational team of experts, published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine in September, discussed the link between stroke and oral health.
The review explains that when there are large amounts of periodontal bacteria present, inflammatory substances or toxins spread with the blood’s circulation, causing low-level inflammation throughout the body and accelerating atherosclerosis.
These bacteria and toxins should not be underestimated. The blockage of coronary arteries can cause heart attacks due to a lack of oxygen to the heart. Blocked arteries may lead to stroke if the blockage occurs in the brain’s blood vessels.
Further, researchers have found LPS, an endotoxin secreted by pathogenic periodontal bacteria, in the blood vessel walls of coronary heart disease patients. The bacteria can destroy blood vessel walls. (
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Even the most routine preventative dental care can significantly reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke, and other cardiovascular events. A 2019
study by Korean researchers suggested that brushing teeth more than once a day reduced the risk of cardiovascular events, possibly by as much as 9 percent.
Moreover, a 2012
study by researchers at Taiwan’s Taipei Veteran’s General Hospital showed that patients who underwent tooth cleaning—even if it didn’t occur regularly—were significantly less likely to experience heart problems.
According to
guidelines from the American Dental Association, patients with a history of bacterial endocarditis, heart disease, or heart valve replacement surgery should take antibiotics prior to a tooth cleaning or other dental procedure. The antibiotics may prevent bacteria from entering the heart through the bloodstream, causing endocarditis.
