- Brain health impacts how well the brain works in different elements of life.
- Numerous aspects add to favorable brain health, consisting of way of life options and routines.
- Information from a current research study recommend that poor oral health might be connected to poor brain health.
- More research study is required to totally comprehend how oral health effects brain health.
The human brain manages body functions — its health significantly affects an individual’s wellness. There is still much about the brain that scientists are still working to comprehend, including what aspects affect brain health.
In a brand-new research study, scientists from the Yale School of Medication in New Sanctuary, CT, have actually discovered that individuals who are genetically inclined to poor oral health likewise tend to have poorer brain health.
The findings show the requirement for additional research study into the complete effect of oral health and if good oral routines can favorably affect brain health.
The research study authors are preparing to share the outcomes of their research study at the
The brain is an intricate organ managing significant functions in the body necessary for keeping us alive. It enables individuals to believe, move, breathe, and express feeling.
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Lexi Watson, an Institute for Practical Medication Licensed Specialist (IFMCP) and Reversing Cognitive Decrease (ReCODE) 2.0 Licensed Specialist, who was not associated with the existing research study, described to Medical News Today that, in the easiest terms, “[b]rain health is the optimization of the many factors that contribute to brain and cognitive function in order to allow your body to achieve its highest expression of health.”
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“Factors that contribute to brain health include nutrient levels and nutrition as well as stress levels and your body’s response to that stress,” said Watson. “By the way,” she added, “stress is much more than just mental [or] emotional stress. Blood sugar imbalance, lack of quality sleep, an overload of toxins, and ongoing inflammation all contribute to stress on the body.”
Researchers are still working to understand all the factors that contribute to brain health and how people can best take steps to improve it.
The authors of the new study wanted to examine how oral health impacts brain health. Study author Dr. Cyprien Rivier explained to MNT:
“The main goal was to investigate the link between poor oral health and brain health. We already know that poor oral health increases the risk of stroke, but we did not know whether poor oral health affected brain health. Brain health is a continuous measure that describes the functional status of a person’s brain using neuroimaging tools such as MRI (magnetic resonance imaging). Studying oral health is especially important because it is an easily modifiable risk factor: Everyone can effectively improve their oral health with minimal time and financial investment.”
Researchers used a specific method called
They analyzed data from the UK Biobank, selecting individuals who had never experienced a stroke. They looked at over 100 genetic variants associated with poor oral health outcomes, such as missing teeth and cavities.
They then looked at brain scans to measure indicators of brain health. The researchers found that the genetically-increased risk of poor oral health was associated with poorer brain health.
This included a higher incidence of silent cerebrovascular disease, which affects the brain’s blood supply, and microstructural damage.
“People who were genetically prone to cavities, missing teeth, or needing dentures had a higher burden of silent cerebrovascular disease, as represented by a 24% increase in the amount of white matter hyperintensities visible on the MRI images,” Dr. Rivier explained.
“Those with overall genetically poor oral health had increased damage to the fine architecture of the brain, as represented by a 43% change in microstructural damage scores visible on the MRI scans. Microstructural damage scores are whole-brain summaries of the damage sustained by the fine architecture of each brain region,” he added.
Based on these findings, the study’s authors suggest that treating poor oral health early might help significantly improve brain health.
The study did have several limitations that indicate the need for more extensive research. Mendelian randomization results indicate a causal relationship between the examined aspects, but this is not entirely certain.
Because they used data from the UK Biobank, which includes predominantly white British participants as 94% of the participants self-report as white, further research could also include more diverse cohorts.
Commenting on the findings, Watson noted that they “confirm for me the importance of oral health in overall brain health.”
“What I would like to see next is a study demonstrating what I see in practice, that taking care of your oral health can mitigate your genetic risk. Genes are not your destiny, just information to help steer your efforts in the right direction,” she emphasized.
Dr. Rivier also noted that this research study is a first step and that confirming the research study will take some time:
“One important next step is to replicate these findings in different populations, especially groups from other races/ ethnic backgrounds. If this research is confirmed, taking measures to improve oral health could lead to significant benefits at a population level. It must be noted that our study is preliminary, and more evidence needs to be gathered, ideally through clinical trials, to show that improving oral health in the population leads to brain health benefits.”
