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Gum disease tied to stroke, heart attack

Brushing your teeth not only gives you pearly whites, it can protect you against having a heart attack or stroke, say doctors.
Only months ofter WA researchers claimed pregnant women could reduce their chance of having a pre-mature baby by looking after their teeth and gums, US doctors say teeth-brushing can also cut the risk of atherosclerosis, the narrowing of blood vessles.
There is a growing body of research linking the bacteria which develop in gum disease with an array of diseases. An estimated 15 per cent of Australian adults have gum disease.

Doctors believe that when bacteria from the gums are swallowed they travel to different organs via the bloodstream, causing inflammation or stimulating the immune system.
The latest research by a team at Columbia University,publiched in the journal Circulation, looked at levels of bacteria in the mouths of 650 people who had a history of stroke or heart attack.
They measured the thickenss of their carotid artery, which carries blood from the heart to the brain. People who had higher levels of the specific bacteria that casued gum disese had thicker carotid arteries.

The doctors also found the link with atherosclerosis existed only for bacteria in the month.
Dr Moise Desvarieux, who led the reasurch, said it was the most direct evidence that gum disease could lead to stroke or heart and blood vessel disease. " Because gum infections are preventable and treatable, taking care of our oral health could very well have a significant impact on your cardiocascular health,"he said.

But US heart disease experts said in a journal the role of teeth-brushing did not lessen the importance of risk factors such as diet and excercise.

Researchers at King Edward Memorial Hospital will start recruiting 5000 pregant woment for a $1 million study to test the theory that bacteria released by inflamed gums are the casue of the one in 10 babies born prematurely.

They argue organisms in gum disease secrete substances such as prostaglandin, the chemical used in later pregnancy to bring on labour.
Japanese research published in a obesity journal reported that a survey of 14,000 people found those who brushed their teeth after every meal were less likely to be overweight