April 5, 2002 – New research supports the thesis that there is a relationship between oral infections, including gingivitis, and coronary heart disease.1
For their study, the researchers compared the blood of people with coronary heart disease to that of a control group. They wanted to check the presence of antibodies in the blood associated with that of various bacteria found in the mouth and which are responsible for periodontal infections.
They found that the levels of antibodies linked to bacteria were higher in people with heart disease. In addition, they observed a relationship between the number of varieties of antibodies and the risk of developing coronary artery disease. Thus, a person with antibodies resulting from three types of bacteria is at greater risk than a person with only one type. Antibodies associated with bacteria Bacteroides forsythus and Streptococcus intermedius which are common oral germs, increase the risk by 45% and 100%, respectively. Paradoxically, some bacteria also offer protection by reducing the risk. This is the case with Campylobacter rectus and Streptococcus sanguis.
Several kinds of bacteria are therefore associated with periodontal infections that affect the gums and the supporting tissues of the teeth. In people with coronary artery disease, the bacteria pass into the blood and attach themselves to the “fatty” deposits (plaques) already formed on the vascular walls and responsible for the narrowing of the arteries. They thus contribute to the formation of blood clots.
The mouth is a “populated place” since there live 60 to 80 different species of bacteria, of which around 17 contribute to periodontal diseases.2
Élisabeth Mercader – PasseportSanté.net
According to InteliHealth, April 1, 2002
1. EKE P, BECK JD, MADIANOS PN, and OFFENBACHER S. 0237 IgG Antibody Levels to Periodontal Organisms and Coronary Heart Disease (CHD). [Consulté le 4 avril 2002]. http://iadr.confex.com/iadr/2002SanDiego/techprogram/abstract_21044.htm
2. Federation of specialist dentists of Quebec. The role of amoeba in periodontal disease. [Consulté le 4 avril 2002]. http://www.fdsq.qc.ca/fr/parodontie/ameba.htm
