Gum disease and stroke link identified in young people

Recently published in the Journal of Dental Research, the results highlight severe gum disease as a risk factor for young-onset stroke, in patients with unidentifiable other risk factors. A cryptogenic stroke is a stroke that has no identifiable cause and makes up about 25-40 per cent of ischemic strokes.

The study was led by Susanna Paju, a periodontology specialist from the University of Helsinki in collaboration with Svetislav Zaric, clinical lecturer in periodontology from the Centre for Host-Microbiome Interactions at King’s College London.

Svetislav explained, “Stroke remains the second leading cause of death globally. Strikingly, the incidence and prevalence of ischemic stroke have been increasing in the younger population during past decades.