Study shows that a simple mouth rinse that checks white blood cell levels may be helpful in predicting #heart disease. The rinse can detect gum #inflammation that can lead to #periodontitis, a condition linked to #cardiovascular disease.
#oralhealth
A simple oral rinse to check levels of white blood cells might be able to predict the risk heart disease, according to a study published today in the journal Frontiers of Oral Health.
Gum inflammation can lead to periodontitis, which is linked to heart disease.
The researchers evaluated younger adults without diagnosed periodontal problems to determine if lower levels of oral inflammation can be clinically relevant to cardiovascular health.
Details from the gum disease study
In the pilot study, researchers assessed 28 non-smokers between the ages of 18 and 30 without co-morbid conditions or medications that could affect cardiovascular risk.
The researchers used a simple oral rinse to measure the level of white blood cells in the saliva of the healthy adults to see if there was a connection to heart disease.
The Process:
Each participant fasted for 6 hours before visiting the lab.
They then rinsed their mouth with water.
Then they rinsed with a saline solution.
The researchers collected saline for analysis.
The participants laid down for 10 minutes before having an electrocardiogram completed.
They remained lying down for another 10 minutes.
Researchers measured blood pressure, flow-mediated dilation, and pulse-wave velocity.
The scientists reported that high white blood cells in saliva had a significant relationship to poor flow-mediated dilation, suggesting an elevated risk of cardiovascular disease. However, there wasn’t a relationship between white blood cells and pulse-wave velocity, indicating long-term impacts on the arteries had not yet occurred. “This could be because the participants were young and relatively healthy,” said Dr. Rigved Tadwalkar, a cardiologist at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in California who was not involved in the study. “I think it would be helpful to see a more varied group of participants – in age and health status,” he told Medical News Today.
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