Brush Up

Posted on March 20, 2009 in Health by admin

A study has found that dental disease can cause heart attack and stroke.

Brushing your teeth is more vital than you may think. Poor dental hygiene can increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes. The new research by the University of Bristol shows that neglected gums can be added to the list of causes for heart disease. We now recognize that bacterial infections are an independent risk factor for heart diseases.

Most of the approximately 700 different bacteria in the mouth are benign and some are essential for good health, but a few can lead to diseases of the arteries linked to heart attacks and strokes, according to the research. The mouth is probably the dirtiest place in the human body.

If you have an open blood vessel from bleeding gums, bacteria will gain entry to your bloodstream. Once inside the blood, certain bacteria stick to cells called platelets, causing them to clot inside the vessel and thus decreasing blood flow to the heart.

We [also] mimicked the pressure inside the blood vessels and in the heart, and demonstrated-that bacteria use different mechanisms to cause platelets to clump together, allowing them to encase the bacteria completely. This shields the bacteria from immune-system cells and antibiotics , and creates conditions that provoke heart attacks and strokes.

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