Gum Disease Associated With Cognitive Deterioration In People With Alzheimer’s, Study Suggests

BBC News (UK) (3/10, Howell) reported that a small study, published in PLOS ONE, suggests a link between gum disease and “a greater rate of cognitive decline in people with Alzheimer’s disease.” The early stage research, led by the University of Southampton and King’s College London, involved “59 people who were all deemed to have mild to moderate dementia.” After tracking the participants for six months, the study found “the presence of gum disease – or periodontitis as it is known – was associated with a six-fold increase in the rate of cognitive decline.”

        The Independent (UK) (3/11, Gander) reported that the research “builds on previous evidence which has linked periodontitis with higher levels of inflammatory molecules associated with deteriorated mental health,” adding that the study suggested that “the body’s inflammatory response to gum disease could explain the link between gum disease and cognitive deterioration.”