Brush Teeth to Avoid Heart Attack and Stroke
Reported February 8, 2005
(Ivanhoe Newswire) — A new study shows people with gum disease are more likely to suffer from atherosclerosis, or a narrowing of blood vessels that can lead to heart attack or stroke.
Researchers at Columbia University Medical Center in New York measured the bacteria levels in the mouths of 657 people who had no history of heart attack or stroke. The thickness of the subjects’ carotid artery, used to identify atherosclerosis, was also measured. People with a higher level of the specific bacteria that causes periodontal disease also had an increased thickness in the carotid artery, even after researchers accounted for other cardiovascular risk factors.
The study shows atherosclerosis is associated with the type of bacteria that causes periodontal disease and not with other oral bacteria. Researchers confirmed this by assessing the levels of three different groups of microbes: those that are known to cause periodontal disease, those that are thought to possibly cause periodontal disease, and those that are not connected to the disease. The relationship between atherosclerosis and oral bacteria only existed for bacteria causally related to periodontitis.
Moise Desvarieux, M.D., PhD., from Columbia University Medical Center, suggests one possible explanation for the link is the bacteria that cause gum disease may migrate throughout the body via the bloodstream and stimulate the immune system, causing inflammation that results in clogging of arteries.
“This is the most direct evidence yet that gum disease may lead to stroke or cardiovascular disease,” says Dr. Desvarieux. “And because gum infections are preventable and treatable, taking care of your oral health could very well have a significant impact on your cardiovascular health.”
SOURCE: Circulation, 2005;111:576-582
