Periodontitis is a ‘killer’ for cirrhosis patients
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- Published: Monday, 24 April 2017 07:59
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Poor dental hygiene is a killer for liver disease patients due to 'oral bacterial translocation', says new research. Mouth bacteria can cause complications as a persistent source of oral bacterial translocation, causing inflammation and increasing cirrhosis complications.
Researchers have discovered that death rates from cirrhosis are higher among people with severe periodontitis. The team at Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark said oral bacteria can cause complications. Lead author Dr Lea Ladegaard Gronkjaer said: "Our study showed severe periodontitis strongly predicted higher mortality in cirrhosis.Periodontitis may act as a persistent source of oral bacterial translocation, causing inflammation and increasing cirrhosis complications. As it can be treated successfully, however, we hope our findings motivate more trials on this subject."
In the study 184 cirrhosis patients had their oral health assessed, 44 percent of whom were diagnosed with severe gum disease. They were followed up for a year, on average, and during this period almost half of the participants died. An analyses showed severe periodontitis was linked with higher mortality rates from all causes - but mostly attributable to complications of cirrhosis. This was after taking into account various risk factors including age, gender, the cause of their cirrhosis, smoking history, drinking, diet and any other illnesses.
The study presented at The International Liver Congress in Amsterdam said in Europe cirrhosis is responsible for one to two percent of all deaths and is the leading cause of liver transplantation. Several previous studies have linked periodontitis to cardiovascular diseases, cirrhosis, chronic kidney disease, diabetes and respiratory diseases. It has also been shown to increase the risk of dementia.
Prof Philip Newsome, of University of Birmingham, called for further research into the link between gum and liver disease. He said: "This study demonstrates the association between gum disease and risk of death in patients with liver disease - further studies are now required to determine if improving gum care can improve outcomes in patients with liver cirrhosis."
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