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Periodontal Disease and Its Link to Cardiovascular Disease
The American Academy of Periodontology - Infective
endocarditis is a condition characterized by inflammation of the
interior lining of the heart and the heart valves, generally caused by bacterial
infection. Heart valves that have been damaged or are abnormal are at highest
risk for infective endocarditis, but infection can also occur in normal valves when
a large number of bacteria are present. Researchers believe that when an individual
is diagnosed with periodontal disease, a normal task such as chewing or brushing
can injure gum tissue, allowing bacteria to enter the bloodstream. The accumulation
of these bacteria on heart valves can lead to infective endocarditis unless treated.
Coronary artery disease is another type of cardiovascular
disease in which the walls of the coronary arteries (heart blood vessels) gradually
thicken due to the build-up of fatty proteins. Often blood clots form in these
narrowed coronary arteries and normal blood flow activity is obstructed, depleting
the heart of the nutrients and oxygen needed to function properly. Scientists
now believe that bacteria found in the oral cavity enter the bloodstream, attach
to fatty plaques and may contribute to clot formation. Researchers have found
that people suffering from periodontal disease are twice as likely to suffer from
coronary artery disease than those without periodontal disease. Current data
leads scientists to believe that periodontal disease is an important risk factor
for heart disease, in conjunction with other risk factors including age, smoking,
diabetes, hypertension and elevated cholesterol.
Additionally, in a recent study that looked at the causal relationship of oral infection
as a risk factor for stroke, people diagnosed with acute cerebrovascular ischemia
were found more likely to have an oral infection when compared to those in a control
group.
The American Heart Association estimates approximately 58 million Americans, 1 in
5 suffer from cardiovascular disease, making it the number one cause of death in
the United States.
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