Shining a light on diseases arising through oral-systemic connection
Investigators have explored recent research into the oral-systemic connection.
In a narrative review published in Life, the investigators detailed that prior studies have uncovered the impact of the oral microbiome on local and systemic homeostasis, which when disrupted can result in oral and systemic diseases. To better understand the bidirectional effects of oral microbiome status on the major organ systems, they identified 40 systematic reviews, meta-analyses and high-quality mechanistic studies published in the PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, Scopus and Cochrane databases from 2019 to 2025.
The investigators found that oral microbial dysbiosis may be associated with cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, chronic kidney disease, chronic respiratory infections, autoimmune diseases, adverse pregnancy outcomes, neurodegenerative disorders and cancer. The mechanisms underlying these connections potentially included systemic inflammation, transient and persistent bacteremia, immune homeostatic interference, molecular mimicry and metabolic pathway modulation.
Despite the correlations, the investigators were unable to establish the causal relationships that would be evident from future longitudinal and interventional studies. The investigators concluded that illuminating the factors responsible for systemic diseases related to oral microbial alterations could provide opportunities to develop novel therapies.
Read more: Life
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