What heart problems does dental disease lead to?

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Researchers from Hiroshima University have found that periodontitis, a gum disease, may be linked to more serious problems. It’s about heart problems.

The team found a significant link between periodontitis and fibrosis—scarring of the left atrial appendage of the heart that can lead to an irregular heartbeat called atrial fibrillation.

“Periodontitis is associated with long-standing inflammation, and inflammation plays a key role in the progression of atrial fibrosis and the pathogenesis of atrial fibrillation,” said study first author Shunsuke Miyauchi. “We hypothesized that periodontitis exacerbates atrial fibrosis.”

The patients had their left atrial appendages surgically removed, and the researchers analyzed the tissue to correlate the severity of atrial fibrosis with the severity of periodontitis. They found that the more severe the periodontitis, the more severe the fibrosis, suggesting that gum inflammation may exacerbate inflammation and heart disease.