Why do some people with clogged arteries have fewer mouth bacteria in their blood?
Presence of periodontal pathogenic bacteria in blood of patients with coronary artery disease
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Fusobacterium nucleatum — the poster child of oral-heart disease links — was significantly less common in people with severe artery calcification.
Prior studies (including animal models and plaque biopsies) suggested this bacterium promotes inflammation and plaque buildup. Finding it rarer in sicker patients contradicts that theory.
Practical Takeaways
Keep brushing and flossing — good oral hygiene still reduces inflammation and is linked to overall health.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Fusobacterium nucleatum — the poster child of oral-heart disease links — was significantly less common in people with severe artery calcification.
Prior studies (including animal models and plaque biopsies) suggested this bacterium promotes inflammation and plaque buildup. Finding it rarer in sicker patients contradicts that theory.
Practical Takeaways
Keep brushing and flossing — good oral hygiene still reduces inflammation and is linked to overall health.
Publication
Journal
Scientific Reports
Year
2022
Authors
Zuray Corredor, Andrés Suarez-Molina, C. Fong, Laura Cifuentes-C, Sandra Guauque-Olarte
Related Content
Claims (6)
Bacteria from gum disease can sometimes escape the mouth and show up in the bloodstream—even in people with healthy hearts—suggesting they might travel from your gums to other parts of your body.
Scientists found 11 types of bacteria in the blood that weren’t known to be linked to heart disease or gum problems—and these bacteria were much more or less common in people with early signs of clogged heart arteries than in healthy people.
People with hardened arteries have fewer of certain types of bacteria in their blood than healthy people — and this difference is too big to be just random chance.
Bacteria from gum disease can sometimes show up in your bloodstream, which means they might travel around your body — but just because they’re there doesn’t prove they’re causing heart artery clogging.
People with severe calcium buildup in their heart arteries tend to have less of a specific bacteria called Fusobacterium nucleatum in their blood than people with healthy arteries.