Can Gum Disease Cause Rheumatoid Arthritis?
by Jessie Hill | December 16, 2016
A new study1 from researchers at John’s Hopkins has brought to light a connection between periodontal disease and rheumatoid arthritis. 92 out of 196 (almost 50%) of rheumatoid arthritis patients tested positive for the bacteria Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans. 60% of those with periodontal disease tested positive for A. actinomycetemcomitans. Only 11% of the control group (who had no evidence of disease) tested positive for this bacteria.
The bacteria A. actinomycetemcomitans causes “citrullination”, which is a process affecting the progression of both periodontal disease and rheumatoid arthritis.
This is not the only study making a connection between a bacteria and rheumatoid arthritis. The National Institute of Health (NIH) reported a connection between the bacteria Proteus mirabilis and rheumatoid arthritis over ten years ago.2
Some natural health proponents have long surmised that viruses and bacteria are a likely cause of some auto-immune diseases, of which rheumatoid arthritis is one of many. Additionally, it has tended to be the alternative health field that has made connections between dental problems and chronic disease.
Once a disease has progressed as far as a crippling illness like rheumatoid arthritis, the answer is likely more complex than taking a traditional or natural antibiotic, though certainly there are some that have found relief from autoimmune diseases with natural antibiotics and other positive health approaches.
Sources:
1. Science Translational Medicine 14 Dec 2016: Vol. 8, Issue 369, pp. 369ra176 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aaj1921
2. Clin Dev Immunol. 2006 Mar; 13(1): 41–48.
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