Published by the American Heart Association     The Journal STROKE (1997, 28:1724)

Chronic infections such as dental infections or chronic bronchitis may more than double the risk of stroke, according to a report in the journal Stroke. The findings are consistent with earlier reports of a link between chronic infections and athero-sclerosis.  A study reported at the University of North Carolina showed increased risk of heart disease and stroke in people with periodontal disease.  People with heart disease or a primary cardiac event are not being referred to periodontists to “get their mouth cleaned up.” A new study in Germany by neurologist Dr. Armin Grau of Heidelberg University compared the rate of dental and other chronic infections.  Those patients with poor dental status (linked to gum disease) were at a 2.6 times greater risk for stroke or TIAs.  “Chronis infection is a treatable condition and for preventive purposes, it appears important to elucidate its role as a potential stroke risk factor,” Grau and his colleagues conclude. General dentists are now stating:

Before, we could tell people to brush and floss or you might lose your teeth. But now we are saying Brush and floss, it could save your life.

 

Study: Inflammation Worst Heart Attack Risk   Study published in New England J of Medicine

BOSTON     A landmark study offers the strongest evidence yet that simmering, painless inflammation deep within the body is the single most powerful trigger of heart attacks, worse even than high cholesterol.  The latest research is likely to encourage many doctors to make blood tests for inflammation part of standard physical exams for middle-aged people, especially those with other conditions that increase their risk of heart trouble.  The study based on nearly 28,000 women, is by far the largest to look at inflammation’s role and it shows that those with high levels are twice as likely as those with high cholesterol to die from heart attacks and strokes.  Over the past five years, research by Dr. Paul Ridker of Boston’s Brigham & Women’s Hospital built the case for the “inflammation hypothesis.” With his latest study, many believe the evidence is overwhelming that inflammation is a central factor in cardiovascular disease, by far the world’s biggest killer.  Inflammation can be measured with a test that checks for C Re-active protein, or CRP, a chemical necessary for fighting injury & infection.  Diet and exercise can lower CRP dramatically.  Cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins also reduce CRP, as do aspirin and some other medicines.  Doctors believe inflammation has

many possible sources…trigger include high blood pressure, smoking and lingering low-level infections such as chronic gum disease. 

 

Study: gum disease Raises Death Risk in Diabetics:    Rueters Health News 7/03

“Diabetic people with periodontal disease have increased death rates due to cardiovascular disease and renal failure, which are two major complications of type 2 diabetes,” reports Dr. William C. Knowler, chief of the diabetes and arthritis epidemiology section of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. The findings underscore the need for good oral hygiene in diabetics who are particularly prone to periodontitis, or gum disease, Knowler said in an interview with Reuters health. Gum disease, characterized by red, swollen gums, is caused by bacterial infection.  Studies have indicated that infections and inflammation can promote blood-vessel damage in the heart and kidneys. While gum disease might not be diagnosed until mid-life or later, infection from the bacteria that cause it can occur decades earlier.  Combined with years of inadequate oral hygiene, a more aggressive infection called periodontitis develops and the gums and bone surrounding the teeth can become seriously damaged.  This may result in the loss of teeth. After adjusting for factors such as age, gender, duration of diabetes, obesity and cholesterol levels, researchers found that diabetics with severe gum disease were twice as likely as those without it to die from either heart disease or kidney failure.