Researchers at King George’s Medical University (KGMU) in Lucknow Uttar Pradesh (UP) have identified a blood marker called TNFα (tumour necrosis factor-alpha) that can aid in the earlier detection and treatment of various health conditions, including chronic gum disease (periodontitis), obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) and heart disease.

The study, titled ‘To evaluate the relationship of obstructive sleep apnoea with chronic periodontitis and its association with coronary artery disease by assessing serum tumour necrosis factor’, was recently published in the ‘The Egyptian Journal of Internal Medicine’.