In a new study published in the Journal of Periodontology, presence of specific bacteria and combinations of bacteria in periodontal pockets might be an explanation for the relationship between periodontal disease and acute coronary syndrome (ACS).

In the study (compared to the control group), the amount of oral bacteria was two times higher in the ACS group for the combination of the bacteria streptococci spp, P. gingivalis, T. forsythia and T. denticola.

The study findings suggest that T. denticola, T. forsythia and streptococci spp are bacteria in a shared infectious etiology for periodontitis and ACS.

"This might be one of several explanations as to why elevated bacteria and the combination of specific pathogens in periodontal pockets can be linked to a history of ACS," said Stefan Renvert, DDS, PhD and Department of Health Sciences, Kristianstad University.

"We also found that the amount of periodontal bacteria results in an inflammatory response that elevates the white blood cell counts and high sensitivity C-reactive protein levels, which has also been linked in past studies to heart disease."

Read more at EurekAlert.