Taking good care of your teeth is good for your brain

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Compromised oral health is related to a decrease in the volume of the hippocampus, whose cells are the first to be damaged by Alzheimer’s. public managers realize their relevance. A study published last week in the scientific journal “Neurology” states that periodontitis (gum disease) and tooth loss are associated with shrinkage of the hippocampus, a region of the brain that plays a crucial role in memory and whose cells are the first to be damaged by the Alzheimer’s. Scientists emphasize that it is not possible to guarantee that the finding represents complete proof that such a condition leads to dementia, but suggest a relationship between the conditions. Compromised oral health is related to a decrease in the volume of the hippocampus Joseph Shohmelian for Pixabay “In old age, periodontitis causes gum recession and tooth loss, which is why it is so important to assess the potential relationship between this problem and the development of dementia . Our study points out that such a condition can affect the part of the brain that controls memory and reasoning”, said Satoshi Yamaguchi, professor at Tohoku University (Japan) and co-author of the work. A diseased mouth is a kind of nursery for inflammatory agents that can spread through the bloodstream and reach the brain, contributing to the chain of events that lead to dementia. Israel, for example, has an ambitious project to offer dental care to all seniors over 65 years old, recovering the oral health of citizens, which includes cleaning, root canal treatment and implants. At the start of the survey, participants were, on average, 67 years old and had no memory disorders. All underwent dental examinations and magnetic resonance imaging of the brain to measure the volume of the hippocampus. The new round of check-up took place four years later and the researchers noticed that the presence of periodontitis, from moderate to severe, and the loss of teeth were associated with alterations in the hippocampus. In another study, on the harms of a sedentary lifestyle, researchers from the University of Cambridge mapped out how people over 60 who reduce physical activity worsen their quality of life. Moderate to intense exercise, which raises the heart rate, reduces the risk of many diseases, such as coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer. Although the recommended ideal is 150 minutes a week, seniors benefit from interrupting long periods of sitting – at least by standing. About 1,400 participants who used accelerometers, devices that measure the level of physical activity, were monitored. In parallel, the group answered questions about their well-being that included questions about their ability to care for themselves, discomfort with pain and anxiety. Each individual received a score from zero to one: the closer to zero, the worse the quality of life. Low rates were related to an increased risk of hospitalization and early death. The elderly were followed up for six years and, on average, both men and women began to exercise 24 minutes less per day: sedentary lifestyle increased by 33 minutes daily for men and 38 minutes for women. One hour of physical activity per day meant a 0.02 increase in the quality of life score. Each minute less exercise made the score drop by 0.03 – in short, whoever reduced the time devoted to some type of “workout” by 15 minutes would have a “score” of 0.45.

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