Dental health may have an impact on cognitive function, according to a recent study published in PLOS and covered by Medical Daily.
Researchers examined 59 nonsmoking patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's in order to assess if periodontitis could be associated with more rapid cognitive decline and an increased systemic pro-inflammatory state. The team assessed cognitive ability and measured inflammatory markers in the patient's blood samples, and a dental hygienist evaluated for oral health. After six months, researchers found that patients with gum disease had a six-fold increase in cognitive degeneration and increased inflammation.
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"These are very interesting results, which build on previous work we have done that shows that chronic inflammatory conditions have a detrimental effect on disease progression in people with Alzheimer's disease," said senior author of the study Clive Holmes, PhD, of the University of Southampton in the United Kingdom, in a press release.
Scientists are skeptical about whether there is a direct correlation between Alzheimer's and gum disease, or if Alzheimer's patients are simply less likely to perform apt dental care thus inciting more oral health issues like periodontitis.
"Our study was small and lasted for six months so further trials need to be carried out to develop these results. However, if there is a direct relationship between periodontitis and cognitive decline, as this current study suggests, then treatment of gum disease might be a possible treatment option for Alzheimer's," said Dr. Holmes in the press release.
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