Gargling away the bad bacteria in type 2 diabetes

Saaya MATAYOSHI, Naoto ITO, Kazuhiko NAKANO
Joint Research Laboratory of Science for Oral and Systemic Connection

A research group led by Prof. Kazuhiko NAKANO have found antiseptic mouthwash can reduce so-called ‘bad’ bacteria in the mouths of patients with type 2 diabetes. Notably, this reduction in bacteria was accompanied by improved blood-sugar control in some patients. Given that the oral diseases caused by these bacteria have been linked to many other serious inflammation-associated diseases, such as cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer’s disease, this simple treatment may have widespread effects.

The article, “Effects of mouthwash on periodontal pathogens and glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus,” was published in Scientific Reports at DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-53213-x