Mouth bacteria may influence heart health

Mouth bacteria may influence heart health


Gum disease and bad breath can do more than just hamper your social life. New research shows the same bacteria may also increase the risk of heart disease.

That’s the main finding from a group of researchers in Switzerland, who explored the relationship between oral hygiene and heart disease. To do that, they analyzed blood samples, health data and genetic information from more than 3,400 people. About 6% of those people had a heart attack or other serious cardiovascular problem during the 12-year study period.

The researchers also looked closely at antibodies that were formed to fight off infection caused by a particular bacterium. After adjusting the results for other known cardiovascular risk factors, the antibodies were linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular problems.

That bacterium is known to colonize in the mouth and can also dwell in plaque that lines the walls of arteries. In other words, inflammation that starts in the mouth may eventually affect the heart.

The findings about oral bacteria are also a medical version of a canary in a coal mine: Identifying specific germs in the mouth is yet another factor that doctors might use to identify people at risk of heart disease. Likewise, treating the oral bacteria may be a path to reducing heart disease.

The researchers want to further study the link between the oral bacteria and heart disease. For now, they say, it’s more evidence that inflammation caused by infections can pave the way for heart attacks and heart disease.

So, remember: Caring for your teeth and gums might also help your heart keep humming along.

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