A simple saliva test may show the first warning signs of cardiovascular disease, as per a team of scientists who have identified a link between high white blood cells in the saliva of healthy young adults and an early cardiovascular disease warning sign.
Researchers noted that high levels of white blood cells, which indicate gum inflammation, correlated with a compromised flow-mediated dilation, an early warning sign of heart disease.
Scientists suspect that inflammatory factors may enter the bloodstream through the gums and damage the vascular system, leading to cardiovascular diseases.
The study, published recently in the journal Frontiers in Oral Health, found that high levels of white blood cells correlated with compromised flow-mediated dilation, an early indicator of poor arterial health.
“Even in young healthy adults, low levels of oral inflammatory load may have an impact on cardiovascular health - one of the leading causes of death in North America,” said the corresponding author of the study, Trevor King from the Mount Royal University in Canada.
Periodontitis is a common infection of the gums which has previously been linked to the development of cardiovascular disease.
Scientists suspect that inflammatory factors may enter the bloodstream through the gums and damage the vascular system.
“We are starting to see more relationships between oral health and risk of cardiovascular disease,” said the first author of the study, Ker-Yung Hong, who now studies dentistry at the University of Western Ontario, Canada.
“If we are seeing that oral health may have an impact on the risk of developing cardiovascular disease even in young healthy individuals, this holistic approach can be implemented earlier on,” Hong said.
“Optimal oral hygiene is always recommended in addition to regular visits to the dentist, especially in light of this evidence. But this study was a pilot study,” said King.
“We are hoping to increase the study population and explore those results. We are also hoping to include more individuals with gingivitis and more advanced periodontitis to more deeply understand the impact of different levels of gingival inflammation on cardiovascular measures,” he added.