Simple Mouthwash Could Identify Heart Disease Risk

What if we could determine the early heart disease warning symptoms from a straightforward saliva sample? Scientists believe they have figured out how to do this. Periodontitis, which is connected to heart disease risk, results from gum inflammation.

The team tested whether white blood cell counts in the saliva of healthy persons could be connected to early indicators of heart disease using a straightforward mouth rinse, which is a marker of gum inflammation. they discovered that high levels were associated with impaired flow-mediated dilation, a precursor to unhealthy arteries.

“Even in young healthy adults, low levels of oral inflammatory load may have an impact on cardiovascular health—one of the leading causes of death in North America,” said Dr. Trevor King of Mount Royal University, corresponding author of the study published in Frontiers in Oral Health.

Heart health and dental hygiene

Periodontitis is a widespread gum infection that has previously been associated to the onset of cardiovascular disease. Researchers believe that inflammatory substances may enter the bloodstream through infected gums, causing vascular damage. King and his colleagues set out to investigate whether decreased levels of oral inflammation could be clinically relevant to cardiovascular health in young, otherwise healthy individuals without periodontal disease.

“We are starting to see more relationships between oral health and risk of cardiovascular disease,” said Ker-Yung Hong, first author of the study, now studying dentistry at the University of Western Ontario. “If we are seeing that oral health may have an impact on the risk of developing cardiovascular disease even in young healthy individuals, this holistic approach can be implemented earlier on.”

As important markers of cardiovascular risk, the researchers selected pulse-wave velocity, which can evaluate the stiffness of arteries, and flow-mediated dilatation, which measures how well arteries can widen to allow for higher blood flow. These directly assess arterial health: stiff and dysfunctional arteries increase the risk of cardiovascular disease in individuals.

The researchers enrolled 28 non-smokers between the ages of 18 and 30 who were free of comorbidities, weren’t taking any drugs that might have an impact on cardiovascular risk, and had no known history of periodontal disease. Prior to going to the lab, they were instructed to fast for six hours without consuming anything but water.

Participants at the lab cleaned their mouths with water first, then with saline solution that was collected for analysis. The participants then lay down for another 10 minutes so that researchers could take their blood pressure, flow-mediated dilation, and pulse-wave velocity. This was followed by an electrocardiogram on each participant.

“The mouth rinse test could be used at your annual checkup at the family doctors or the dentist,” said Dr. Michael Glogauer of the University of Toronto, a co-author of the study. “It is easy to implement as an oral inflammation measuring tool in any clinic.”

The core of the issue

The researchers discovered a strong association between high white blood cell levels in saliva and inadequate flow-mediated dilation, indicating that these individuals may have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease. White blood cells and pulse wave velocity did not correlate, indicating there had not yet been any long-term effects on the condition of the arteries.

The researchers put out the theory that vascular system inflammation from the mouth affects the arteries’ capacity to create nitric oxide, which enables them to react to variations in blood flow. The amounts reported in the participants are typically not regarded as clinically relevant, but higher levels of white blood cells may have a bigger effect on vascular dysfunction.

“Optimal oral hygiene is always recommended in addition to regular visits to the dentist, especially in light of this evidence,” said King. “But this study was a pilot study. We are hoping to increase the study population and explore those results. We are also hoping to include more individuals with gingivitis and more advanced periodontitis to more deeply understand the impact of different levels of gingival inflammation on cardiovascular measures.”