- MONDAY (HealthDay News) --
The first-ever study to compare levels of oral bacteria with blood vessel
thickness provides the strongest evidence yet that gum disease and clogged
arteries are closely connected.
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- "People in the study with the highest levels of
specific oral bugs also had the highest levels of atherosclerosis (hardening
of the arteries)," said lead researcher Dr. Moise Desvarieux, an assistant
professor of epidemiology at Columbia University Medical Center in New
York City.
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- The findings are published in the Feb. 8 issue of Circulation.
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- Dental and cardiovascular researchers have long suspected
that chronic periodontal infection can also trigger or exacerbate atherosclerosis.
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- "Chronic infection puts a stress on our body's response
system, and the way the body responds to that infection is by sending different
elements through the bloodstream," explained Dr. Ronald Inge, associate
executive director of the Division of Dental Practice at the American Dental
Association.
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- He explained that steady, high levels of these inflammatory
compounds spur a gradual thickening of artery walls throughout the body.
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- "Remember, gum disease is not like a bout of the
flu, which is of relatively short duration," Inge said. "Periodontal
disease is a long-term infection, and if it's not treated -- if that bacteria
isn't eliminated or at least reduced -- it can continue to cause this slow
reaction in the body that builds up over time."
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- Previous studies had compared indirect markers of periodontal
disease (such as loose gums or tooth loss) to atherosclerosis, and found
close correlations. But Desvarieux's study of nearly 660 elderly individuals
is the first to count and categorize specific populations of oral bacteria,
then compare that data to ultrasound measurements of arterial thickness.
In the study, the Columbia team used ultrasound to measure atherosclerosis
of the carotid arteries, which supply blood to the brain.
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- The researchers found that participants with higher levels
of oral bacteria also tended to have thicker, more narrowed carotid arteries.
What's more, this association was only found with oral bacteria known to
cause gum disease.
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- "That's important," Desvarieux said, "because
if all bugs in the mouth were related to carotid atherosclerosis, one might
say 'Oh well, these people have poor oral hygiene, maybe they have poor
health in general.'" The finding that only bacteria linked to gum
disease are associated with atherosclerosis seems to rule out that explanation,
he said.
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- Inge said there are easy, simple ways to boost gum --
and perhaps, arterial -- health.
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- "First, have a complete oral exam" to help
diagnose the disease, he said. Once a diagnosis is made, a manual deep
cleaning of the gums -- something specialists call "scaling and root
planning" -- is usually the next step. "That's usually followed
by the administration of local antibiotics, to help reduce or eliminate
bacteria," Inge said.
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- At-home care is key to keeping gum infection at bay,
he added.
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- "Brush and floss your teeth twice a day, of course,"
he said. "But the biggest factor is to not allow food or plaque to
remain in your mouth without brushing. Allowing small amounts of food to
build up creates a 'fortress' for bacteria to live in. At some point, even
your brushing won't be able to affect that."
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- For more on protecting yourself from periodontal disease,
visit theAmerican Dental Association.
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- http://www.forbes.com/
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