Some of you may already have read articles about a possible connection
between gum infection and cardiac disease. If not, here is a "Scientific
American" feature on this theory:
<http://www.sciam.com/2001/0501issue/0501scicit5.html>
The article begins like this:
<Coronary heart disease, the leading killer in the U.S., is mostly related to
smoking, lack of exercise and too many visits to the greasy spoon. But
recently infection has joined the list as a possible risk factor. In
particular, some studies suggest an association between infected gums and
heart disease, and oral bacteria have even shown up in the sticky plaques
lining diseased arteries. If a causal relation can be established, then
treating gum disease early may prevent hundreds of heart attacks every year.
At least half of all Americans over age 30 have gingivitis, a mild
inflammation caused by bacterial plaque. Untreated, it may turn into
periodontitis, in which bacteria colonize pockets that form between the gums
and teeth. The resulting inflammation slowly eats away tissue and bone,
eventually leading to tooth loss. At least one third of U.S. adults over age
30 have some form of periodontitis (smoking is a main risk factor for getting
it).
Acute periodontitis may lead to heart disease because it might cause
low-level inflammation in the whole body: chemicals produced by the immune
reaction in the gum pockets probably spill over into the bloodstream and
trigger the liver to make proteins that inflame arterial walls and clot
blood. Atherosclerosis and, ultimately, heart attack may result. One such
factor, C-reactive protein—a predictor of heart disease—is elevated in
patients with periodontitis. Alternatively, the microbes themselves may travel
from the mouth and affect blood vessels....... >
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Dr Mel C Siff
Denver, USA
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Supertraining/
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