PD was not significantly associated with cerebral microbleeds or lacunar infarcts <\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter<\/b>
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TUESDAY, Oct. 28, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Periodontal disease (PD) is associated with greater burden of white matter hyperintensity volume (WMHV), according to a study published online Oct. 22 in Neurology Open Access<\/em>.<\/p>\n Jaclyn Meyer, M.D., from the University of South Carolina School of Medicine in Columbia, and colleagues examined the independent association between PD and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-verified cerebral small vessel disease features using data from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities cohort. Periodontal status was categorized as PD (800 participants) and periodontal health (PH; 343 participants). Periodontal assessment was conducted at visit 4 and brain MRI at visit 5.<\/p>\n The researchers found that WMHV was significantly greater for participants with PD versus PH (median percentage WMH: 2.83 versus 2.52). There was an association for PD with the highest WMHV quartile, with crude and adjusted odds ratios of 1.77 and 1.56, respectively. There was a weak but significant association between WMHV and World Workshop Periodontal Profile Class. PD was not significantly associated with cerebral microbleeds or lacunar infarcts.<\/p>\n “This study shows a link between gum disease and white matter hyperintensities suggesting oral health may play a role in brain health that we are only beginning to understand,” coauthor Souvik Sen, M.D., M.P.H., from the University of South Carolina, said in a statement.<\/p>\n