以上为原文音频，欢迎关注微信公众号：极光单词，收听完整讲解音频，扫描一下二维码或点击链接，加入我们，轻松读英语外刊，快速提高英语水平。
https://bigbay.qingclass.com/mall?pageKey=GptoXA3U&channelKey=QOXLHTnO0H
Gum Disease Could Be Linked to Higher Risk of Dementia, Especially in Severe Cases
Researchers from several universities studied 4,559 participants, who did not have signs of dementia at the start of the study, over an average of about 18 years to assess their gum health and whether they developed dementia or cognitive decline later in life.
They found that participants with severe gum disease resulting in some tooth loss were 20% more likely to have developed dementia, including Alzheimer's disease. That risk increased to 50% for people who lost all their teeth.
This was true even after accounting for other factors linked to dementia risk such as diabetes, high cholesterol, and smoking. Researchers did not find an association between mild cases of gum disease and cognitive decline.
Although researchers don't yet understand how it works, previous research has suggested that bacteria accumulating in the mouth to cause gum disease might have damaging effects on the brain. Gum disease is also associated with other forms of chronic illness that can increase the risk of dementia.
One limitation of this study was that participants were 63 years old on average, making it possible that cognitive decline was present before signs of gum disease.
"Good dental hygiene is a proven way to keep healthy teeth and gums throughout your lifetime. Our study does not prove that an unhealthy mouth causes dementia and only shows an association," Ryan T. Demmer, study co-author and professor of epidemiology and public health at the University of Minnesota, said in a press release.
用户评论