Periodontal disease as a possible risk factor for alzheimer-s disease

Abstract

Periodontal disease is a localized infectious disease caused by periodontal disease-related bacteria, such as. Recently, Periodontal disease is known to cause systemic spread of chronic inflammation and exacerbate lifestyle-related diseases such as ischemic heart disease, diabetes mellitus, and obesity, while the inflammatory response plays a large role in the development of neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Mild systemic inflammation has been reported to increase an individual’s risk of AD. Inflammation has been thought to spread through the circulatory system and CNS. The increased amounts of inflammatory mediators in the blood are transmitted to the brain and may activate the microglia in the brain. Chronic inflammation in periodontal disease and periodontal disease-related bacteria are transmitted and spread to the brain via a certain mechanism, which might then exacerbate the AD. Periodontal infections are treatable, and thus this may be relevant for preventing and delaying the progression of AD. In this super-aging society, periodontal disease measures will become increasingly important.