Patients with periodontitis have significantly increased risk of stroke before age 50, study indicates

Medical Xpress / University of Helsinki / Journal of Dental Research ^ | June 12, 2024 | J. Leskelä et al

[ConservativeMind]

Periodontitis, an inflammation of the structures supporting the teeth, significantly increases the risk of stroke in people under 50 years of age who do not have any known predisposing causes. A study indicates that the more the inflammation had progressed in the mouth, the more serious the stroke.

In the focus were individuals who had a stroke between the ages of 20 and 50.

The study found that periodontitis was significantly more common among stroke patients. Not only did periodontitis increase the risk of stroke, its severity affected that of the stroke too.

According to the study, dental procedures carried out the previous three months, such as tooth extraction or root canal treatment, as well as acutely symptomatic inflamed teeth yet to be removed, increased the risk of stroke.

"Oral bacteria enter the bloodstream," Paju says.

"Usually, the body eliminates these bacteria from the bloodstream," she adds.

Dental procedures and symptomatic bad teeth constituted a risk particularly for people with an aperture known as patent foramen ovale in the interatrial septum of the heart.

The oval opening is common and does not usually require treatment. However, its connection to cerebral infarction has been observed in other studies as well, and closure procedures have been carried out to prevent further infarctions.

The mouth contains the body's second-richest microbiome, or a community of microbes. A healthy mouth has a balanced microbiome, while in periodontitis it changes and harmful bacteria gain ground.

"A vicious cycle is born where bacteria are nourished by tissue destroyed by inflammation. Their reproduction, in turn, accelerates the inflammation," says Pirkko Pussinen.

This is why it is important to react to symptoms associated with periodontitis in a timely manner.

"Bad teeth should be removed and inflammation treated on a regular basis," Paju confirms.

[ConservativeMind]

I can tell you I have a relative who never took care of his teeth, drank Coke, candy, and milk, and had his teeth removed by 40. He also had a stroke by then and another about five years ago.

He is/was chronically lazy. It now seems amazing he is stil alive.

[ConservativeMind]

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[Uncle Miltie]

Coincidence is not causation.

People who take poor care of their teeth probably take poor care of the rest of their body too.

I’m very interested if someone can prove causation. But I haven’t seen that yet.

[Sir Bangaz Cracka]

I read that people who keep their phones on silent have a 61% better chance at lung cancer.

Or, people who have push to start cars have a 79% greater chance of brain cancer before the age of 39.

Hey, this is fun.

[sima_yi]

This makes sense. What is being reported here is a statistically significant difference in outcome plus a reasonable mechanism to explain that difference.