A new study by researchers at Hiroshima University has found a significant correlation between gum disease, or periodontitis, and fibrosis – scarring to an appendage of the heart’s left atrium that can lead to an irregular heartbeat called atrial fibrillation.
The study, published in the JACC: Clinical Electrophysiology, analyzed tissue samples from 76 patients with cardiac disease and found that the worse the periodontitis, the worse the fibrosis, suggesting that the inflammation of gums may intensify inflammation and disease in the heart.
According to first author Shunsuke Miyauchi, assistant professor with Hiroshima University’s Health Service Center, “Periodontitis is associated with a long-standing inflammation, and inflammation plays a key role in atrial fibrosis progression and atrial fibrillation pathogenesis. We hypothesized that periodontitis exacerbates atrial fibrosis.”
Corresponding author Yukiko Nakano, professor of cardiovascular medicine in Hiroshima University’s Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, said that in addition to improving other risk factors such as weight, activity levels, tobacco and alcohol use, periodontal care could aid in comprehensive atrial fibrillation management. However, she did caution that the study did not establish a causal relationship, meaning that while gum disease and atrial fibrosis degrees of severity appear connected, researchers have not found that one definitively leads to the other.
Future research will be needed to establish whether periodontitis contributes to atrial fibrosis in a causal manner and whether periodontal care can alter fibrosis. If so, periodontitis could be a new target for atrial fibrillation management, and dental specialists could play a greater role in caring for patients with the condition.
The researchers hope to conduct future clinical trials to clarify if periodontal intervention reduces atrial fibrillation occurrence and improves patient outcomes.