Gum inflammation increases the risk of Alzheimer’s

Inflammatory conditions like inflammations of the gum may increase the risk of the Alzheimer’s disease if people are exposed to them early in life.

According to a research study that is presented in the first Alzheimer's Association International Conference on Prevention of Dementia held in US, periodontal conditions could affect the incidence of Alzheimer’s disease in people.

Alzheimer’s disease affects the brain cells and slowly destroys them. The main symptoms of the disease are decreasing memory, ability to reason, creative abilities and learning powers.

Researchers had studied identical twins in finding out the risk of Alzheimer’s, as previous studies have established that Alzheimer’s disease may be hereditary by nature. They had measured the incidence of gum disease from the incidence of loose teeth or lost teeth, among other factors of the survey.

The research report linking poor oral health to increased risk of the disease was the surprise result of the research. Scientists of the study suggest that good oral health may not prevent the disease but early exposure to gum inflammation can have severe and long reaching consequences.

Reference: University of Southern California, press release, June 2005