Researchers found that high levels of white blood cells in saliva, indicative of gingival inflammation, correlated with impaired blood flow-mediated dilation, a sign of poor arterial health. This association suggests that even mild oral inflammation can affect cardiovascular health, highlighting the link between oral hygiene and heart health.
Researchers have found a relationship between salivary white blood cell counts in healthy young people and early warning signs of cardiovascular disease.
What if we could detect early signs? cardiovascular disease Was it as easy as analyzing a saliva sample? Researchers believe they have found a way. Gingival inflammation can progress to periodontitis and is associated with cardiovascular disease. Researchers used a simple mouth rinse to assess whether salivary white blood cell levels in healthy people were associated with warning signs of cardiovascular disease. They observed that elevated levels were associated with impaired blood flow-mediated dilation, an early indicator of poor arterial health.
“Even in young healthy adults, low levels of oral inflammatory burden can affect cardiovascular health, which is one of the leading causes of death in North America,” said a 2006 study. Dr. Trevor King of Mount Royal University, the study’s corresponding author, said. The frontier of oral hygiene.
Dental care for heart health
Periodontitis is a common infection of the gums and has been associated with the development of cardiovascular disease. Scientists suspect that inflammatory factors enter the bloodstream through the gums and damage the vascular system. Dr. King and colleagues set out to investigate whether reduced levels of oral inflammation are clinically relevant to cardiovascular health in currently healthy young people with undiagnosed periodontal disease.
“We’re starting to see more links between oral health and cardiovascular disease risk,” said the study’s first author, Kayong Hong, who is now studying dentistry at the University of Western Ontario. “If we know that oral health can influence the risk of developing cardiovascular disease, even in young, healthy people, we could introduce this holistic approach earlier.”
The research team identified pulse wave velocity, which can measure arterial stiffness, and flow-mediated dilation, which indicates how much an artery can dilate to allow more blood flow, as key indicators of cardiovascular risk. Selected. These are direct measures of arterial health. Stiff and dysfunctional arteries increase a patient’s risk of cardiovascular disease.
Researchers recruited 28 nonsmokers between the ages of 18 and 30 who had no medical history or medical history that could affect cardiovascular risk, and who had no reported history of periodontal disease. . Researchers were asked to fast for 6 hours, excluding drinking water, before visiting the lab.
In the lab, participants rinsed their mouths with water before rinsing their mouths with saline collected for analysis. Afterwards, the participant lay down for 10 min and he lay down for 10 min for an electrocardiogram, during which blood pressure, blood flow-mediated dilation, and pulse wave velocity were measured.
“Mouthwash tests may be used during annual checkups for primary care physicians and dentists,” said study co-author Dr. Michael Grogauer of the University of Toronto. “It can be easily implemented as an oral inflammation measurement tool in any clinic.”
heart of the matter
Researchers found that high white blood cell counts in saliva were significantly associated with poor dilation through the bloodstream, suggesting that these people may be at increased risk of cardiovascular disease. suggests that there is However, long-term effects on arterial health had not yet occurred because there was no relationship between white blood cells and pulse wave velocity.
The researchers hypothesized that inflammation from the mouth leaks into the vascular system, affecting the ability of arteries to produce nitric oxide, which allows them to respond to changes in blood flow. Higher white blood cell levels can have a greater impact on vascular dysfunction. The levels seen in participants are generally not considered clinically significant.
“We always recommend optimal oral hygiene, in addition to regular visits to the dentist, especially given this evidence,” said Professor King. “However, this study was a pilot study. For this reason, we would like to involve more gingivitis and more advanced periodontitis patients.”
Reference: “Oral inflammatory load predicts vascular function in young adult populations: a pilot study.” Ker Hon, Avin Ghafari, Yixue Mei, Jennifer S. Williams, Dina Attia, Jourdyn Forsyth, Kevin Wang, Trevor Wyeld, Chunxiang Sun, By Michael Grogauer and Trevor J. King, 18 Aug 2023, The frontier of oral hygiene.
DOI: 10.3389/froh.2023.1233881
This research was funded by Mount Royal University.
