Researchers in Canada have found a way to detect early cardiovascular disease signs in saliva. Gum infections like periodontitis can lead to cardiovascular disease.
Researchers believe inflammatory chemicals may enter the blood through diseased gums, damaging arteries. Cananian researchers may have found a way to detect early cardiovascular disease signs in saliva. A common gum infection, Periodontitis, has been linked to cardiovascular risk.
Canadian researchers from Mount Royal University used a simple mouth rinse to determine if healthy salivary white blood cells, a sign of gum inflammation, are linked to cardiovascular disease risk factors.
Elevated levels were linked to poor flow-mediated dilation, a precursor to vascular disease.
Trevor King of Mount Royal University says that even in young, healthy people mild oral inflammatory load may affect cardiovascular health, a major cause of death in North America.
The Frontiers in Oral Health study examined whether lower oral inflammation may benefit cardiovascular health in young, healthy people without periodontal disease.
“We are starting to see more relationships between oral health and risk of cardiovascular disease,” say University of Western Ontario dentistry student Ker-Yung Hong, the study’s first author.
“This holistic approach can be used earlier if we see that oral health may affect cardiovascular disease risk in young healthy individuals.”
The researchers chose pulse-wave velocity and flow-mediated dilatation as cardiovascular risk indicators because they reflect artery stiffness and blood flow. These measure arterial health: stiff, dysfunctional arteries raise cardiovascular disease risk.
The researchers enrolled 28 non-smokers aged 18–30 without comorbidities, no cardiovascular-risk medicines, and no periodontal disease history.
They had to fast for six hours on water before heading to the lab.
Lab participants rinsed their lips with water before applying saline solution for analysis.
The researchers took blood pressure, flow-mediated dilation, and pulse-wave velocity after the subjects lay down for 10 more minutes. An ECG followed 10 minutes of laying down.
High saliva white blood cell numbers and poor flow-mediated dilation were strongly correlated, suggesting that these individuals may have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease.
White blood cells and pulse wave velocity did not correlate, indicating no long-term artery damage.
In the pilot study, researchers hypothesized that oral inflammation that enters the vascular system alters arteries’ ability to produce nitric oxide, which allows them to react to blood flow changes.
Although greater white blood cell levels may affect vascular dysfunction more, participant quantities are seldom clinically meaningful.
Conclusion:-
Researchers in Canada have found a way to detect early cardiovascular disease signs in saliva. Inflammatory chemicals from infected gums may damage arteries in periodontitis, a gum infection associated to cardiovascular disease. The researchers examined healthy saliva for white blood cells, a sign of gum inflammation, using a simple mouth rinse. Elevated levels were linked to poor flow-mediated dilation, a precursor to vascular disease. The study assessed pulse-wave velocity and flow-mediated dilatation as cardiovascular risk factors in 28 healthy people without periodontal disease. High saliva white blood cell numbers and insufficient flow-mediated dilation were strongly linked, suggesting an increased risk of cardiovascular disease in these patients. The researchers believe oral inflammation inhibits arteries’ ability to produce nitric oxide, which allows them to respond to blood flow changes. Although participant numbers are frequently not clinically meaningful, increased white blood cell levels may affect vascular dysfunction more.
