LOS ANGELES, June 20 (UPI) -- A University of Southern California study says early exposure to inflammation multiplies the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.
The findings, based on a study of dementia in identical twins, suggested exposure to inflammation early in life quadruples the Alzheimer's risk.
Lead researcher Margaret Gatz will present the findings this week at the first Alzheimer's Association International Conference on Prevention of Dementia in Washington.
If confirmed, the link would add inflammatory burden to the short list of preventable risk factors for Alzheimer's, the study said.
Gatz's team included researchers from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden.
The study included survey questions about loose or missing teeth. Gatz and colleagues used the answers to build a crude indicator of periodontal disease.
The conclusion was not that good oral health can prevent Alzheimer's, but that an inflammatory burden early in life, as represented by chronic gum disease, may have severe consequences later.
