According to a study published in the journal *Science Advances*, there is a link between chronic periodontitis and Alzheimer’s disease.
After analyzing brain tissue, cerebrospinal fluid, and saliva from patients with Alzheimer’s disease, the researchers found the bacterium Porphyromonas gingivalis, the cause of periodontitis, in 96% of the cases.
Previous experiments confirmed that the bacteria that cause gingivitis can travel to the brain via the cranial nerves that run through the head and jaw, and demonstrated that the toxic protein they secrete, called gingipain, destroy nerve cells in the brain, leading to memory loss and Alzheimer’s disease.
After administering drugs that block these toxic proteins to sick mice, the degeneration of their brains was halted.
Dr. Mydel has pointed out that this bacterium does not cause Alzheimer’s on its own, but its presence increases the risk of developing the disease.
A new treatment
He also announced that researchers have successfully developed a drug that blocks harmful bacterial enzymes, thereby delaying the onset of Alzheimer’s disease, and that it will be tested later this year.
On the other hand, other doctors argue that cause and effect are being confused, since people with Alzheimer’s are more prone to brain infections, and they even claim that people with Alzheimer’s may hav
Oral health is vital for preventing disease and should be a public health priority, especially among older adults.