A new study finds that hidden infections, such as those at the root tip, may predispose one to cardiovascular disease.
Could an asymptomatic infection pose a threat to cardiovascular health? Researchers at the University of Helsinki think so. Root tip infections, also called apical periodontitis, are quite common in Finland where the study was performed. As many as one in four Finns suffer from at least one infected root tip, which is usually discovered by coincidence during diagnostic x-rays.
The study, which was published in the Journal of Dental Research, examined the possible connection between heart disease and chronic, low-grade root tip inflammation. The researchers examined a group of 508 Finnish patients with a mean age of 62, all of whom were experiencing cardiac symptoms at the time of the study. Angiography revealed that 36 percent of the subjects were experiencing stable coronary artery disease, while 33 percent had acute coronary syndrome. A group comprising 31 percent of the sample did not suffer from coronary artery disease to a clinically significant degree.
The researchers examined the oral health of the participants using panoramic tomography. Nearly 58 percent of these patients were found to have undiagnosed inflammatory lesions at one or more root tips. Patients also underwent a blood draw and antibody assay, which found high levels of systemic antibodies against common bacteria implicated in root tip infections, demonstrating that bacteria were entering the bloodstream.
A complex statistical analysis of the experimental data accounted for age, gender, smoking status, diabetes status, BMI and presence of periodontitis, finding that all other factors aside, root tip infection was a strong predictor of the cardiac status of the studied patients, adding to the growing body of research that suggests oral health and physical health are strongly connected.
The contribution of oral ill health to heart disease is of particular importance, given that heart disease contributes to some 30 percent of deaths globally. For those with infected root tips, x-ray detection followed by endodontic treatment and improved hygiene are essential to eliminate these asymptomatic infections and prevent reoccurrence.
Source:
University of Helsinki. (2016, August 2). Hidden tooth infections may predispose people to heart disease. ScienceDaily. Retrieved August 10, 2016 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/08/160802104159.htm
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