As the OSH News Network continues to grow, I’m constantly amazed – though not surprised – at all the new research that builds the library of evidence supporting the oral-systemic link.

The big news this week was, of course, research from the Cleveland Clinic that suggests increasing our HDL cholesterol levels isn’t necessarily going to keep us safe from heart disease. According to the study, some HDL particles can become dysfunctional and therefore harmful. The good news? Researchers are developing a test to help healthcare providers find that dysfunctional HDL that may be out as soon as the end of 2014.

Then there was new information regarding the brain’s response to inflammation from Biological Psychology, which found that residual inflammation from an infection can have an impact on a person’s spatial memory. While it’s been established that inflammation plays a role in diseases like dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, this study demonstrated that even the common cold can produce enough inflammation to affect spatial memory.

And continuing the theme of inflammation – which, let’s face it, is the big culprit when it comes to the oral-systemic connection – a new study from the Harvard School of Dental Medicine discussed how knowing a person’s genetic predisposition to hyper-respond to inflammation can lead to early detection of problems as well as improved treatment outcomes.

What do you think about these new developments? Leave a comment below with your thoughts.

See you next Friday for next week’s OSH News Recap!