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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Allison E. Aiello, PhD, Epidemiology/ Center for Social Epidemiology and Population Health, University of Michigan, 1214 S. University Ave., Ann Arbor, MI 48104, 734-904-1661, aielloa@umich.edu

In this presentation, I will provide an overview of the epidemiological, biological, and sociological basis for the link between infection and chronic diseases with a special emphasis on the role of periodontal pathogens. Numerous studies have documented an inverse association between socioeconomic position and chronic health outcomes, such as cardiovascular disease. Many of these associations persist even after adjustment for health behaviors suggesting that there are other factors that link socioeconomic factors with chronic health outcomes. A potential mediating candidate is infection. Common viral and bacterial infections are increasingly implicated as causative agents of chronic health conditions that are characterized by inflammation, such as cardiovascular disease and dementia. The implicated infectious agents include latent viruses, such as herpesviruses, and chronic bacterial infections, such as Chlamydia pneumoniae (C. pneumoniae) and periodontal disease pathogens. Periodontal disease presents an especially compelling case since there are strong social gradients in risk of disease and there is also a growing body of literature supporting a link between periodontal infections and several health outcomes including, cardiovascular disease and pre-term birth. Access to public health preventative measures and treatment of periodontal disease is a basic human right which is not being met in many resource poor populations. If infection is a significant mediator of the relationship between socioeconomic position and chronic health outcomes, an examination of interventions aimed at social determinants of exposure and susceptibility to infection is warranted.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe the types of infections and chronic health outcomes that have been linked throughout history
• Evaluate the research showing a link between infection and chronic disease, with a special emphasis on periodontal infections
• Assess the demographic and sociological processes that help elucidate the link between infection and chronic diseases

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No