Preliminary research presented this week at the American Heart Association Basic Cardiovascular Sciences Scientific Sessions in Boston has connected a common bacterium responsible for gum disease to the process of calcium accumulation in the heart's aortic valve.
Calcific aortic valve stenosis is a serious condition in which the aortic valve narrows as calcium deposits build up, restricting blood flow from the heart. At present no medications exist that can prevent or slow its progression, making any insight into modifiable risk factors potentially significant for patient care.
Analysis of human heart valve tissue obtained during replacement surgery revealed markedly higher levels of Porphyromonas gingivalis in calcified valves from patients with the condition compared with valves from those with other problems. The difference stood out even though the bacterium was not among the most abundant overall.
We were surprised by how much Porphyromonas gingivalis was present in the calcified aortic valves. Although it was not one of the most abundant bacteria overall, it showed one of the largest differences between valves with calcific aortic valve stenosis and valves without calcific aortic valve stenosis. This unexpected finding led us to investigate its potential role in the development of calcific aortic valve stenosis.
That observation came from Chenyang Li, a PhD candidate in cardiology at Fuwai Hospital's National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases in Beijing. His team followed up with experiments in mice.
Repeated exposure to live Porphyromonas gingivalis produced bacterial accumulation in the aortic valves, increased valve calcification, and symptoms consistent with aortic stenosis. Preventive treatment with antibiotics reduced these effects. The bacterium appeared to act by activating the interleukin-1 beta inflammatory pathway. When researchers used mice genetically engineered to lack interleukin-1 beta, valve calcification and disease symptoms fell sharply even in the presence of the bacterium.
The sessions in Boston ran from 13 to 16 July 2026. The findings were released in abstract form on 12 July and have not undergone peer review. They have not been confirmed in clinical studies involving people. The research team has now begun a clinical study in humans to examine the possible connection between periodontal disease and calcific aortic valve stenosis.