Gum Disease Bacteria Found in Calcified Aortic Valves — and May Drive Disease Through Inflammatory Signaling

14 Jul Gum Disease Bacteria Found in Calcified Aortic Valves — and May Drive Disease Through Inflammatory Signaling

Dr. Chenyang Li

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?

Dr. Li: Calcific aortic valve stenosis (CAVS) is one of the most common valvular heart diseases in older adults, affecting approximately 2–7% of individuals over the age of 65. Although chronic inflammation is increasingly recognized as an important contributor to disease progression, the upstream triggers remain incompletely understood.

Our study investigated whether Porphyromonas gingivalis, a major periodontal pathogen, contributes to the development of CAVS. We detected the bacterium in human calcified aortic valves, demonstrated that repeated systemic infection accelerated valve calcification and aortic stenosis in mouse models, and found that these effects were largely mediated through IL-1β-dependent inflammatory signaling. In both animal models and human valve interstitial cells, inhibiting IL-1β significantly reduced the osteogenic response.

Taken together, our findings demonstrate that Porphyromonas gingivalis promotes calcific aortic valve disease in experimental models through IL-1β-mediated inflammation. These findings provide new mechanistic insight into how periodontal pathogens may contribute to valve calcification and offer a strong rationale for further clinical investigation.

MedicalResearch.com: What should readers take away from your report?

Dr. Li: Our findings reinforce the concept that oral health is closely linked to overall cardiovascular health. Although our study was not designed to establish a direct causal relationship in humans, it suggests that chronic exposure to periodontal pathogens may contribute to inflammatory processes involved in aortic valve calcification.

Maintaining good oral hygiene should be considered one component of an overall heart-healthy lifestyle, together with controlling blood pressure and cholesterol, engaging in regular physical activity, avoiding smoking, eating a balanced diet, and receiving regular dental care.

MedicalResearch.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?

Dr. Li: An important next step is to determine whether improving periodontal health can reduce the incidence or slow the progression of calcific aortic valve stenosis in humans. Large prospective cohort studies and well-designed clinical intervention studies will be needed to answer this question.

In addition, further investigation of inflammatory pathways, particularly IL-1β signaling, may help identify novel therapeutic strategies for preventing or slowing valve calcification.

MedicalResearch.com: Is there anything else you would like to add? Any disclosures?

Dr. Li: Our findings are based on mechanistic studies involving human valve tissue, cultured cells, and animal models. Additional clinical studies are needed before these findings can be translated into recommendations for patient care.

More broadly, this work highlights the importance of integrating oral health into cardiovascular research. We hope our findings will encourage greater collaboration between cardiovascular researchers and dental researchers to better understand the role of chronic oral infection in cardiovascular disease.

Disclosures: The authors report no relevant conflicts of interest related to this study.

Abstract presented at the at the American Heart Association’s Basic Cardiovascular Sciences Scientific Sessions July 2026.
https://newsroom.heart.org/news/bacteria-from-gum-disease-may-cause-inflammation-harden-heart-valves

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Last Updated on July 14, 2026 by Marie Benz MD FAAD