rheumatoid arthritis and aspiration pneumonia tagged posts

Gum Bacteria implicated in Alzheimer’s and other diseases

Bacteria involved in periodontitis have been linked with Alzheimer’s disease, aspiration pneumonia, rheumatoid arthritis and other common disorders. The image is credited to Jan Potempa, University of Louisville.

Scientists trace path of bacterial toxins from the mouth to the brain and other tissues. Researchers are reporting new findings on how bacteria involved in gum disease can travel throughout the body, exuding toxins connected with Alzheimer’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis and aspiration pneumonia. They detected evidence of the bacteria in brain samples from people with Alzheimer’s and used mice to show that the bacterium can find its way from the mouth to the brain.

The bacterium, Porphyromonas gingivalis, is the bad actor involved in periodontitis, the most serious for...

Read More