The Study
Oral Dysbiosis Is Associated with the Pathogenesis of Aortic Valve Diseases
This study found that the same kinds of bacteria that live in your mouth sometimes show up in people's heart valves. But it doesn't prove that the mouth bacteria made the heart valves sick — maybe the heart valves got damaged first, and then the bacteria just moved in.
Analysis score
Maximum 44 for a cross-sectional study.
Where the score came from
Scientists checked if germs from people's mouths ended up in their leaking or narrowed heart valves after surgery.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 535 / 100
Quality score
Snapshots of a population at a single point in time, or descriptions of small groups. Can identify correlations and prevalence, but cannot determine cause and effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes — having severe gum disease was much more common in these heart patients, and in some cases, the exact same bacteria were found in both the mouth and the heart valve.
- 2In 32 patients, germs from the mouth were found in 12 heart valves.
- 3In 6 patients, the germs matched exactly with those in their gums and tongue.
- 474% of patients had severe gum disease, compared to 63% of similar-age people.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Microorganisms
Year
2025
Authors
Erika Yaguchi, Y. Komiyama, Shu Inami, I. Shibasaki, T. Shintani, Ryo Shiraishi, Toshiki Hyodo, Hideki Shiba, Shinsuke Hamaguchi, H. Fukuda, Shigeru Toyoda, Chonji Fukumoto, Sayaka Izumi, T. Wakui, Hitoshi Kawamata
Related Content
Claims (10)
Bacteria from gum disease can escape from your mouth into your bloodstream and may help cause calcium buildup in your heart arteries and valves, which can lead to heart problems.
Bacteria from inadequate dental hygiene are present in calcified heart valves and coronary arteries.
Chronic bacterial infections in the mouth and poor dental hygiene are linked to the hardening of heart valves and coronary arteries.
Among adults with severe aortic valve disease, 74.1% have advanced gum disease or no teeth, compared to 63.5% of adults in the general population of the same age.
Among people of the same age, those with severe aortic valve disease are more likely to have advanced gum disease or no teeth than those without severe aortic valve disease.
People with severe aortic valve disease have higher levels of antibodies against three specific bacteria linked to gum disease than healthy people, and these antibody levels increase as gum disease becomes more severe.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.