A recent study published in the British Medical Journal shows a correlation between tooth care and heart disease. The data was collected from about 12,000 Scottish adults and based on information supplied by the participants as to how often they brushed their teeth and visited the dentist.
The survey team then compared that information to hospital records of the incidence of heart problems in the individuals. In their final analysis, the results indicated that people who brushed their teeth once a day or less had a significantly higher number of heart problems in the time period covered by the survey.
The link the researchers were following is that of inflammatory gum disease to the presence of C reactive protein and fibrinogen, which compose part of the body’s defence against inflammation.
Amongst those whose blood was tested, higher levels of the chemicals were found in the ones who did not brush or see a dentist regularly. Peritonitis, or gum disease, is an infection caused by bacteria in the mouth, and one symptom of the disease is frequent or constant low-level inflammation of the gums. It appears that inflammation may be carried to other parts of the body, specifically blood vessels and the heart.
In the simplest terms, poor oral hygiene may be one contributing cause of a heart attack.
The researchers and members of the medical profession involved with these health problems emphasized the lack of definitive proof as far as cause and effect. Though this was a careful and well-conducted survey, there are too many other factors that must be weighed, including but not limited to lifestyle and eating habits, for the report to be conclusive.
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