Booming | Link between gum disease, Alzheimer’s

Last week, I discussed inflammation as a contributor to the chronic diseases that are far too common in our society. For example, the incidence of heart disease is overwhelming, as 50 percent of us will die from it, and 80 percent of us will die with it. The underlying cause of the vast majority of heart attacks is clogging of the arteries (atherosclerosis). Research in recent years has documented the key role of inflammation in the clogging process. Now, some research is suggesting that inflammation may also play a role in the advancement of Alzheimer’s.

With this in mind, researchers have examined potential sources of inflammation in the body to see if reducing inflammation can slow the artery clogging process. The answer seems to be yes, and a prime location is the gums. Low grade infection of the gums known as gingivitis is very common in the U.S. In fact, if you are not taking steps to avoid it by flossing, the risk skyrockets.

The problem is, when there is a chronic low-grade infection, the immune system is constantly on high alert, making it more prone to seek and destroy, causing inflammation, as discussed last week. This accelerates damage to the arteries, promoting atherosclerosis, and current thinking is that it may damage the brain as well.

Therefore, as unlikely as it might seem, oral health, and specifically flossing your teeth regularly, may be important in reducing your risk of heart disease. Can it do the same for Alzheimer’s? Let’s take a look.

Floss, floss, floss

As I said last week, Alzheimer’s is a scary disease, especially for us Boomers. Right now, nearly five million folks have been diagnosed with the disease, and because of the huge number of aging boomers in the pipeline, that number is expected to increase dramatically over just the next five years.

What can we do to try to head this off? Research tells us to exercise regularly, consume a healthier diet, and keep our weight down; and the earlier we start practicing good health habits, the better the odds of beating Alzheimer’s. Now, research is suggesting that we add another healthy lifestyle habit to the list: floss regularly to avoid gum disease.

While the case in favor of keeping your gums healthy by flossing in order to keep your brain healthy makes logical sense, the evidence to date is preliminary and much more research is needed. Regardless, a provocative study from Sweden of identical twins examined the influence of lifestyle on the development of Alzheimer’s. One lifestyle characteristic really stood out. Twins with gum disease were four times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s. Researchers blamed inflammation for the reasons discussed above and last week.

An accidental association?

Research suggesting that gum health is important in helping to prevent heart disease and Alzheimer’s is interesting, and it strongly suggests that everyone should add flossing to their daily schedule. However, in fairness, we must consider that the association between flossing and improved heart and brain health could be accidental.

In other words, a devil’s advocate might say, what kind of folks are likely to exercise regularly, make healthy food choices, and watch their weight? The answer is, those who are well-informed, disciplined and committed to sustaining their health as long as possible. And who is likely to floss? The same disciplined folks. So, it’s possible that folks who floss regularly also do the other healthy things as well, and it could be those things that are mostly responsible for the helpful preventive effects.

What if you add flossing to your daily regimen, and it turns out that flossing doesn’t help prevent Alzheimer’s? Is it a bad thing that you are promoting the health of your gums and possibly saving your teeth? Of course not.

On the other hand, what if flossing really is helpful in preventing Alzheimer’s? I’d say erring on the side of flossing regularly is a good bet.

Anita Miles Curpier is a registered dietitian and has considerable experience in hospital and clinically based nutrition therapy. To contact her, email boomingcj@gmail.com.