Oral bacteria

Some oral bacteria linked with hypertension in older women

Posted by

0


Journal of the American Heart Association Report

Research Highlights:

  • In a study of more than 1,200 women in the U.S., average age 63 years, 10 kinds of oral bacteria were associated with a higher risk of developing high blood pressure, while five strains of bacteria were linked with lower hypertension risk.
  • The observational study cannot prove cause and effect; however, the findings highlight possible opportunities to enhance hypertension prevention through targeted oral care, researchers said.

Embargoed until 4 a.m. CT/5 a.m. ET Wednesday, March 2, 2022

DALLAS, March 2, 2022 — Some oral bacteria were associated with the development of hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, in postmenopausal women, according to new research published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association, an open access, peer-reviewed journal of the American Heart Association.

High blood pressure is typically defined by two measurements: systolic blood pressure (the upper number measuring pressure when the heart beats) of 130 mm Hg or higher, and diastolic blood pressure (the lower number indicating pressure between heart beats) of 80 mm Hg or higher.

While previous research has indicated that blood pressure tends to be higher in people with existing periodontal disease compared to those without it, researchers believe that this study is the first to prospectively examine the association between oral bacteria and developing hypertension.

“Since periodontal disease and hypertension are especially prevalent in older adults, if a relationship between the oral bacteria and hypertension risk could be established, there may be an opportunity to enhance hypertension prevention through increased, targeted oral care,” said Michael J. LaMonte, Ph.D., M.P.H., one of the study’s senior authors, a research professor in epidemiology at the University at Buffalo – State University of New York and a co-investigator in the Women’s Health Initiative clinical center in the University’s epidemiology and environmental health department.

Researchers evaluated data for 1,215 postmenopausal women (average age of 63 years old at study enrollment, between 1997 and 2001) in the Buffalo Osteoporosis and Periodontal Disease Study in Buffalo, New York. At study enrollment, researchers recorded blood pressure and collected oral plaque from below the gum line, “which is where some bacteria keep the gum and tooth structures healthy, and others cause gum and periodontal disease,” LaMonte said. They also noted medication use and medical and lifestyle histories to assess if there is a link between oral bacteria and hypertension in older women.

At study enrollment, about 35% (429) of the study participants had normal blood pressure: readings below 120/80 mm Hg, with no use of blood pressure medication. Nearly 24% (306) of participants had elevated blood pressure: readings above 120/80 mm Hg with no medication use. About 40% (480) of participants were categorized as having prevalent treated hypertension: diagnosed and treated for hypertension with medication.

Researchers identified 245 unique strains of bacteria in the plaque samples. Nearly one-third of the women who did not have hypertension or were not being treated for hypertension at the beginning of the study were diagnosed with high blood pressure during the follow-up period, which was an average of 10 years.

The analysis found:

  • 10 bacteria were associated with a 10% to 16% higher risk of developing high blood pressure; and
  • five other kinds of bacteria were associated with a 9% to 18% lower hypertension risk.

These results were consistent even after considering demographic, clinical and lifestyle factors (such as older age, treatment for high cholesterol, dietary intake and smoking) that also influence the development of high blood pressure.

The potential associations for the same 15 bacteria with hypertension risk among subgroups was analyzed, comparing women younger than age 65 to those older than 65; smokers versus nonsmokers; those with normal versus elevated blood pressure at the start of the study, and other comparisons. Results remained consistent among the groups compared.

The findings are particularly relevant for postmenopausal women, since the prevalence of high blood pressure is higher among older women than older men, according to LaMonte.

More than 70% of American adults ages 65 and older have high blood pressure. That age category, the fastest growing in the U.S., is projected to reach 95 million by 2060, with women outnumbering men 2 to 1, according to a 2020 U.S. Census report. The 2020 U.S. Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Control Hypertension underscores the serious public health issue imposed by hypertension in adults, especially those in later life. Identifying new approaches to prevent this disease is, thus, paramount in an aging society.

According to the American Heart Association, nearly half of U.S. adults have high blood pressure, and many don’t know they have it. High blood pressure is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease and stroke.

“We have come to better appreciate that health is influenced by more than just the traditional risk factors we know to be so important. This paper is a provocative reminder of the need to expand our understanding of additional health factors that may even be influenced by our environments and potentially impact our biology at the endothelial level,” said Willie Lawrence, M.D., chair of the American Heart Association’s National Hypertension Control Initiative’s (NHCI) Oversight Committee. ”Inclusive research on hypertension must continue to be a priority to better understand and address the condition.”

Due to the study’s observational approach, cause and effect cannot be inferred, limiting the researchers’ ability to identify with certainty that only some bacteria are related to lower risk of hypertension while others are related to higher risk. A randomized trial would provide the evidence necessary to confirm which bacteria were causal agents in developing – or not developing – hypertension over time, according to LaMonte.

Co-authors are Joshua H. Gordon, M.D., Ph.D.; Patricia Diaz-Moreno, D.D.S., Ph.D.; Christopher A. Andrews, Ph.D.; Daichi Shimbo, M.D.; Kathleen M. Hovey, M.S.; Michael J. Buck, Ph.D.; and Jean Wactawski-Wende, Ph.D.

The study was funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, the National Institute for Dental and Craniofacial Research and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, which are divisions of the National Institutes of Health (NIH); the U.S. Army Reserve Medical Corps; the Women’s Health Initiative program (Coordinating Center, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center); and the University at Buffalo Clinical Translational Science Institute.

Studies published in the American Heart Association’s scientific journals are peer-reviewed. The statements and conclusions in each manuscript are solely those of the study authors and do not necessarily reflect the Association’s policy or position. The Association makes no representation or guarantee as to their accuracy or reliability. The Association receives funding primarily from individuals; foundations and corporations (including pharmaceutical, device manufacturers and other companies) also make donations and fund specific Association programs and events. The Association has strict policies to prevent these relationships from influencing the science content. Revenues from pharmaceutical and biotech companies, device manufacturers and health insurance providers and the Association’s overall financial information are available here. 

Additional Resources:

About the American Heart Association

The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. We are dedicated to ensuring equitable health in all communities. Through collaboration with numerous organizations, and powered by millions of volunteers, we fund innovative research, advocate for the public’s health and share lifesaving resources. The Dallas-based organization has been a leading source of health information for nearly a century. Connect with uson heart.org, Facebook, Twitter or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1.

Certain oral bacteria linked to hypertension in postmenopausal women

Posted by

0


Certain kinds of oral microbiota were associated with development of hypertension, researchers reported in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

Among 245 bacterial species analyzed, 10 were positively associated with incident hypertension and five were negatively associated with it, according to the researchers.

Asian woman using mouthwash

Michael J. LaMonte

“Since periodontal disease and hypertension are especially prevalent in older adults, if a relationship between the oral bacteria and hypertension risk could be established, there may be an opportunity to enhance hypertension prevention through increased, targeted oral care,” Michael J. LaMonte, PhD, MPH, a research professor in epidemiology at the University at Buffalo – State University of New York and a co-investigator in the Women’s Health Initiative clinical center in the university’s epidemiology and environmental health department, said in a press release.

The cohort included 1,215 postmenopausal women (mean age at baseline, 63 years) from the Buffalo OsteoPerio study who had complete information on the oral subgingival plaque microbiome at baseline, had BP and hypertension status assessed at baseline and were followed annually for incident hypertension.

At baseline, 429 women were normotensive, defined as BP less than 120/80 mm Hg with no antihypertensive medication use; 306 had elevated BP, defined as BP at least 120/80 mm Hg with no antihypertensive medication use; and 480 had been diagnosed with hypertension and were treated with medications.

Among the 735 women with no hypertension diagnosis at baseline, incident hypertension occurred in 375 during a mean of 10.4 years of follow-up, according to the researchers.

In a cross-sectional analysis, LaMonte and colleagues found 47 of 245 bacterial species that varied by baseline BP status (P < .05 for all).

In a prospective analysis, 15 bacterial species were associated with incident hypertension (P < .05 for all). Of those, 10 were positively associated with incident hypertension (age-adjusted HRs per standard deviation, 1.1-1.16) and five were negative associated (age-adjusted HRs per standard deviation, 0.82-0.91), the researchers wrote.

The results did not vary according to age, smoking, BMI and baseline BP.

Willie Lawrence

“We have come to better appreciate that health is influenced by more than just the traditional risk factors we know to be so important. This paper is a provocative reminder of the need to expand our understanding of additional health factors that may even be influenced by our environments and potentially impact our biology at the endothelial level,” Willie Lawrence, MD, chair of the AHA’s National Hypertension Control Initiative’s Oversight Committee and chief of cardiology at Research Medical Center at HCA Midwest Health in Kansas City, Missouri, said in the release. “Inclusive research on hypertension must continue to be a priority to better understand and address the condition.”

Oral bacteria linked to increased pancreatic cancer risk

Posted by

0


Two kinds of oral bacteria were associated with an increased risk of pancreatic cancer, according to research presented at the 2016 meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), held recently in New Orleans, Louisiana, US.

“A history of periodontal disease and the presence of circulating antibodies to selected oral pathogens have been associated with increased risk of pancreatic cancer in prospective studies; however, relationships of oral microbes with pancreatic cancer have not been directly evaluated,” said Dr. Jiyoung Ahn, associate professor of population health and associate director of population sciences at the Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York, New York, US.

“We found that Porphyromonas gingivalis and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, two species of bacteria linked to periodontal disease, were associated with a more than 50 percent increased risk of pancreatic cancer.”

The nested case-control study drew data from two large long-term US-based cancer studies to compare 361 people from whom oral wash samples were collected upon study enrolment and who then developed pancreatic cancer to 371 matched controls. [AACR 2016, abstract 4350]

The researchers genetically profiled all of the bacteria present in the wash samples and analysed the association between the oral microbiota and the risk of pancreatic cancer. They controlled for factors including age, race, sex, smoking status, alcohol consumption, body mass index, a history of diabetes, and the random effects of the cohorts.

P. gingivalis was associated with a 59 percent increased risk of pancreatic cancer (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 1.59; 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 1.15-2.20) while A. actinomycetemcomitans was associated with a 119 percent increased risk (adjusted OR, 2.19; 95 percent CI, 1.15-4.15).

The researchers also found that samples containing more bacteria from the Fusobacteria phylum relative to other types were associated with a decreased risk of pancreatic cancer (OR per percent increase of abundance, 0.92, 95 percent CI, 0.87-0.98).

The risk of developing pancreatic cancer remained even after the researchers excluded patients whose cancer occurred within 2 years of sample collection to avoid counting potential reverse causation.

Oral health, particularly periodontal disease, can contribute to or be affected by cardiovascular disease, diabetes, immune disorders, and cancer, among other conditions.

“Only 5 percent [of people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer] survive 5 years or more after their diagnosis,” Ahn said. “These data do not show a causal relationship, but they are the first steps in understanding a potential new risk factor for pancreatic cancer, which is vital if we are to develop new approaches for pancreatic cancer prevention and early detection in the future.”