Dental link to heart attack

GINGIVITIS (inflammation of the gums), dental plaques and other bacterial infection of the mouth are more dangerous to health than commonly known.

The yellowish build up of calcium on your teeth, the swollen, bleeding, and tender gums are not only local oral disease but conditions that are associated with increased risk for the development of other health problems, including heart attack,  Alzheimer’s dementia, diabetes, arthritis, and even premature births.

The observation linking dental infection to heart disease has been known for decades, but somehow it has come to the limelight only the past few years.

While several studies have shown that the bacterial infection of the mouth threatens over-all health, they are not clear about the link and how it adversely impacts on other organs in the body.

Published in the Journal of Periodontology and The American Journal of Cardiology in 2009, the “consensus paper on the relationship between heart disease and gum disease was jointly developed by the American Academy of Periodontology and The American Journal of Cardiology.” This has put the spotlight on a very important public health issue.

A bacterial link?

Some other researches postulate that coronary heart disease, which causes heart attack from the build-up of calcium deposits on the walls of the artery leading to arterial blockage, could be due to bacterial infection and not to high cholesterol. And that the bacterial infection itself is the culprit that triggers inflammation on the inner wall of the arteries which induces cholesterol to cling to the walls of the arteries. Since bacteria travel through the blood stream, they are in the circulation and get to all organs of the body.

Gum disease and diabetes

Patients with diabetes are more prone to gingivitis compared to non-diabetics because diabetics are easier targets for infection, especially when the blood sugar is not well-controlled.

On diabetes, the interesting question is whether subtle chronic bacterial or viral infection of the pancreas, and eventual destruction of its beta cells, which controls insulin production, be the cause of Type II diabetes, especially IDDM (the insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus).

Alzheimer’s dementia

Clinical investigations on Alzheimer’s have revealed that patients with this dementia have amyloid plaques in their brains, much like the cholesterol plaques on the inner walls of the coronary arteries of the heart. Those with high levels of cholesterol by the time they reach age 40 are 1-2 times more prone to develop Alzheimer’s.

The dementia research is still trying to solve the mystery as to what causes Alzheimer’s. Is it the high cholesterol? If it is, the next question is, “Is bacterial infection elsewhere in the body inducing (causing) the cholesterol to destroy the brain tissues and to replace them with amyloid, rendering that damaged part of the brain useless? We are still waiting for the final word on this issue.

Peptic ulcer

Ulcers of the stomach were once thought to be due to intake of spicy foods and alcohol, until it was proven by studies that they were caused by an infection due to Helicobacter pylori bacteria. That discovery revolutionized the management of this disease. Instead of surgery, the treatment for peptic ulcer today is with antibiotic pills. This particular event has inspired many researches on various conditions like heart attack, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s, etc., as to the possible role bacterial infection could have in the causation of these disease.

The common denominator in all these studies is bacterial infection and inflammation.

Researches around the world continue to unravel these medical mysteries and hopefully provide us answers that will benefit mankind as a whole.

Queries from readers

Will tinted glasses help relieve my migraine?

Individuals with migraine are highly sensitive to stressful visual stimuli, like bright light, among others, which leads to “excessive activation in the brain’s visual cortex,” and which could precipitate migraine. Prescription tinted glasses may reduce the stimuli, and help minimize migraine.

Does eating red meat increase risk of cataracts?

Yes, red meat is not only associated with heart attack and cancer, arthritis and Alzheimer’s, but also with the formation of cataracts. Scientists at the University of Oxford in England, found among the 27,670 subjects of their research that “vegetarians and vegans are 30 percent to 40 percent less likely to develop cataracts than people who eat a lot of meat.” Smoking, diabetes and exposure to sunlight are other contributing factors.

Can I really prevent cancer?

As we have stated in this column a few times in the past, to a significant extent, yes, you and I can prevent cancer. Clinical evidences and outcomes tell us that there are three most significant key factors in the development of cancer, all of which, fortunately, are actually within our control.

These three cancer “connections” are summarized in this word: FEW. The letters stand for Food, Exercise, and Weight. To these, we should add two common toxic agents, which statistics show tremendously increase cancer risk: Smoking and Alcohol.

A diet consisting of fish, vegetables (greens and other colorful variety), whole grain, nuts, legumes, and fruits protect us from cancer, cardiovascular diseases, Alzheimer’s, and metabolic illnesses, such as diabetes and arthritis. Red meats, processed food items, and other high cholesterol, high fat items increase the risk of cancer, heart attack, stroke diabetes, arthritis, Alzheimer’s. Lack of daily physical exercise and excess body weight have also been shown to increase the risk for cancer and for the other four diseases mentioned above. A healthy diet, daily exercise, maintenance of normal weight, total abstinence from smoking, and disciplined consumption of alcoholic beverage are essential parts of a healthy lifestyle regimen that prevents diseases and maximizes longevity.

Remembering FEW and applying the principle to our daily life will bring us many rewards and benefits money can’t buy.

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