When Salomon Amar, a periodontal specialist at Boston
University, began exploring links between oral bacteria and heart disease in
animal studies in the late 1990s, reactions were lukewarm. “Many cardiologists
thought we were a bit crazy,” he says. Skepticism still abounds, but the same
molecular tools that have dramatically changed understanding of the gut
microbiome are now allowing scientists to track and examine bacteria in the
mouth. Advocates of a connection between the artery disease atherosclerosis and
microbes are hoping to find convincing proof of their suspicions, while
exploring links between ailing gums and other conditions, including cancer,
arthritis, diabetes and even Alzheimer’s disease.
No comments:
Post a Comment