University of New York scholars found out that poor oral hygiene can increase the risk of dementia, including the deadly Disease of Alzheimer. According to the article published in Alzheimer’s Association magazine, the pathogenic gum microflora is associated with a high level of beta-amyloid, which can contribute to the accumulation of amyloid plaques in the future.
48 elderly people were involved in the study without signs of cognitive violations. Specialists analyzed microflora of periodontal pockets and compared the results with data on the presence of amyloid and neurofibrillar clusters in the spinal fluid of patients. A dysbiotic index was determined as the ratio of harmful pathogenic bacteria to healthy.
It turned out that an increased dysbiotic index, that is, the dominance of pathogenic microbes (Treponema, Porphyromonas, Tannerella) over a healthy microflora (Rothia, CoryneBacterium) is associated with an increase in beta-amyloid levels (Aβ + group). People in the group Aβ + had four times more likelihood of a high dysbiotic index.
As scientists write, there may be several likely explanations of this connection. Bacteria can penetrate the central nervous system and have a direct pathological effect on the brain. Microbes can also provoke extensive inflammation, which, in turn, leads to inflammatory processes in the brain and amyloid pathology.