Oral microbiome diversity associates with carotid intima media thickness in middle-aged male subjects

Abstract

Although there have been significant advancements in reducing the burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD) by modifying traditional CVD risk factors, substantial risks persist, particularly among male subjects who exhibit heightened susceptibility to atherosclerosis. In this context, we aim to study the link between oral microbiome and carotid intima media thickness (cIMT). The Northern Finland Birth Cohort of 1966 (mean age 46 years, n = 869) underwent an extensive health examination, including the measurement of cIMT. The oral microbiome was also investigated using high-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Here we show that oral microbiome diversity links with atherosclerosis risk factors, namely smoking, glycemic balance, low-grade inflammation, and periodontitis. After excluding CVD-influencing factors (n = 339), oral microbiome genera (p = 0.030), Shannon index (p = 0.001), β-diversity Bray–Curtis (p < 0.001), and Jaccard (p < 0.001) are associated with cIMT in males, but not in the female sub-cohort. Furthermore, in the male sub-cohort (n = 131), the genera Prevotella, Megasphaera, and Veillonella associate positively with cIMT, while Absconditabacteria, Capnocytophaga, Gemella, Fusobacterium, Neisseria, Aggregatibacter, Tannerella, Treponema, Cardiobacterium, and Bacteroidales associate inversely with cIMT. We examine the involvement of serum total immunoglobulins and antibodies to phosphorylcholine (PCho) and malondialdehyde-acetaldehyde LDL (MAA-LDL) with cIMT. Subjects with high cIMT have lower levels of serum total IgA (p = 0.009), IgA to PCho (p = 0.017), and IgG to PCho (p = 0.008). The relative abundance of cIMT-associated genera correlates with serum IgA antibodies. This middle-aged birth cohort study shows that male oral microbiome diversity links to cIMT, suggesting a potential sex-specific interaction between the oral microbiome and atherosclerosis. Heart disease remains a leading cause of death worldwide and particularly affects men. In this study, we explored whether bacteria in the mouth are associated with artery thickness, a key early indicator of heart disease. We analyzed data from 869 participants, all approximately 46 years old, from the Northern Finland Birth Cohort. Among men, we found that certain groups of bacteria in the mouth were linked to increased artery thickness, a connection not observed in women. These findings suggest that the composition of bacteria in the mouth may influence heart disease risk, especially in men. Understanding this connection could lead to new heart disease prevention strategies. Akhi et al. study the link between the oral microbiome and atherosclerosis. Microbiome diversity is influenced by atherosclerosis risk factors and in a sub-cohort of males without these risk factors, there is a connection between microbiome diversity and atherosclerosis.

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