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Gum Disease Linked to Heart Illness
By: Tim Friend
USAToday
Philadelphia—the most common strain of bacteria in dental plaque can cause blood clots that induce heart attacks when they escape into the bloodstream, researchers reported Monday.
Mark Herzberg of theUniversityofMinnesotasaid the findings are the first to link bacteria to the formation of potentially fatal blood clots.
Pervious studies had found the incidence of heart diseasse4 is about twice as high in people with periodontal disease (gum disease), but scientists didn’t know why.
“Now we show a potential biological reason” Herzberg told the 150th annual meeting of American Association for the Advancement of Science.
In lab tests, Herzberg and colleagues injected bacteria from dental plaque into the bloodstream, of rabbits. The bacteria caused blood clots to form within minutes. Rabbits are a proven model for testing hypotheses about human heart diseases and heart attacks.
Chronic inflammation of the gums due to plaque also could be involved in the inflammation of the lining of the blood vessels that is known to lead to the build-up of plaque in the arteries, Herzberg said.
Additional studies presented at the meeting show that bacteria on plaque also are linked to”
Reducing risk of disease linked to dental bacteria is a common lesson preached by dentists: Have the teeth cleaned regularly and floss daily. If necessary have bone implants to replace dental bone loss from periodontal disease, says researchers, Frank Scannapieco, State University of New York,Buffalo. Bacteria reside in pockets caused by bone loss where the teeth are attached.
