Older adults with more harmful than healthy bacteria in their gums are more likely to have evidence for amyloid beta — a key biomarker for Alzheimer’s disease — in their cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), according to new research from NYU College of Dentistry and Weill Cornell Medicine. However, this imbalance in oral bacteria was not associated with another Alzheimer’s biomarker called tau.
The study, published in the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment & Disease Monitoring, adds to the growing evidence of a connection between periodontal disease (gum disease) and Alzheimer’s. Periodontal disease — which affects 70 percent of adults 65 and older, according to CDC estimates — is characterized by chronic and systemic inflammation, with pockets between the teeth and gums enlarging and harboring bacteria.
“To our knowledge, this is the first study showing an association…
