Medicine
Mouth infection increases heart risk, says EPFL
A bacteria responsible for gum disease and bad breath appears to be linked to cardiovascular problems caused by the inflammation it causes.
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The bacterium Fusobacterium nucleatum infects the gums and the inflammation it causes slightly increases the risk of cardiovascular disease.
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Heart disease is responsible for about a third of deaths worldwide. The formation of plaques in the arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle causes what is called coronary artery disease, the most common type of heart disease. When the obstruction is complete, it causes a heart attack. Previous studies have linked certain infections to an increased risk of plaque formation.
According to a study by scientists from the team of Professor Jacques Fellay at EPFL, infection with a bacterium that causes gum disease and bad breath can increase the risk of heart disease. This study is published in the journal eLife.
“Although considerable progress has been made in the understanding of coronary artery disease, the role of infections, inflammation and genetic risk factors is still poorly understood,” says Flavia Hodel, lead author and former doctoral student at the Faculty of Science. of EPFL life. “We wanted to fill some gaps in our understanding of coronary artery disease by further investigating the role of infections.”
Measurements on Lausanne volunteers
The study suggests a new risk factor that doctors could screen for to identify people at risk for cardiovascular disease. Flavia Hodel and her colleagues analyzed genetic information, health data and blood samples from 3,459 people who took part in the study CoLaus|PsyCoLaus. This is unique in the world. It is interested in the health of a specific population: that of the city of Lausanne. More than 6,700 volunteers, representing a sample of approximately 10% of its inhabitants aged between 35 and 75, have taken part in it since 2003. It has already provided material for more than 600 scientific publications.
About 6% of these 3,459 people selected for these blood tests had a heart attack or other serious cardiovascular event during the 12-year follow-up period. The team tested the blood samples for the presence of antibodies against 15 viruses, six bacteria and one parasite. After adjusting the results for known cardiovascular risk factors, the scientists found that antibodies against Fusobacterium nucleatuma sign of previous or current infection with this bacterium, were linked to a slightly increased risk of a cardiovascular event.
Way to identify people at risk
«F. nucleatum could contribute to cardiovascular risk by an increase in systemic inflammation due to the presence of bacteria in the mouth, or by direct colonization of the arterial walls or of the plaque lining the arterial walls”, explains Flavia Hodel.
“Our study confirms that infection-related inflammation can contribute to the development of coronary artery disease and increase the risk of heart attack,” concludes Jacques Fellay, who also heads the Precision Medicine Unit at CHUV and the University of Lausanne. “Our findings may suggest new ways to identify people at high risk or lay the groundwork for studies of the treatment of intestinal infections. F. nucleatum to protect the heart.