Cardiovascular Disease & Oral Health / What’s the Connection?
What is Cardiovascular Disease?
Cardiovascular disease is any disorder affecting the heart or blood vessels.
Common Types of Cardiovascular Disease
Heart Attack – the sudden death of heart muscle due to the loss of blood supply caused by the blockage of one or more of the arteries of the heart.
Angina – chest pain caused by reduced blood flow to the heart muscle.
Atherosclerosis – a disease of the arteries caused by a build up of plaques (paste) containing fats, cholesterol, calcium and inflammatory cells and bacteria on the lining of arteries. Sometimes called “hardening” or “clogging” of the arteries.
Stroke – the sudden death of brain cells due to the lack of oxygen caused by a blockage of blood supply or rupture of an artery.
Bacterial Endocarditis – infection of the inner lining of the heart.
Incidence of Cardiovascular Disease
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in America. Approximately 610,000 people die annually from heart attack and another 130,000 from stroke according to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control an Prevention).1,2 Cardiovascular disease claims more lives than all forms of cancer combined.
Oral Health Impact on the Risk for Cardiovascular Disease
There is an important link between oral health and cardiovascular disease. Ongoing research suggests that acute or chronic infections, such as periodontal disease, increases risk for cardiovascular disease. Bacteria can directly infect tissue causing bacterial endocarditis or indirectly by producing inflammatory proteins, c-reactive protein and interleukin-6, inflaming arteries and causing plaque formation. In the case of bacterial endocarditis, 27% of those cases cultured were caused by a strictly oral bacteria, Streptococci mutans.3 In the case of atherosclerotic plaque another study found DNA and cellular components of three of the causative periodontal bacteria (P. gingivalis,B. forsythus, and A. actinomycetemcomitans) in removed atherosclerotic plaque. These oral bacteria DNA were present in 72% of the removed plaque and cellular components of these oral bacteria were present in 42% of the removed plaque.4 Another survey noted a doubling of coronary heart disease risk for those participants with periodontal disease. 5 Clearly, oral health can play a significant role in lowering risk for cardiovascular disease.
You are not healthy without good oral health. Surgeon General C. Everett Koop 6
The Importance of a Dental Visit
Given the virulent and inflammatory affects oral bacteria can have on the rest of the body it is clear that more collaborative effort needs to be made between dental and medical professionals. The treatment of oral disease and the practice of good oral hygiene are requisite to good cardiovascular health.
Common Warning Signs of Hearth Attack
- Chest pain or pressure generally in the center of the chest.
- Radiating pain can occur in one or both arms, the jaw, back, neck or upper stomach.
- Shortness of breath.
- Nausea, lightheadedness or cold sweat.
Common Warning Signs of Stroke
The acronym F.A.S.T. is an easy way to remember the sudden signs and symptoms of a stroke.
F – Face Drooping
A – Arm Weakness
S – Speech Difficulty
T – Time to call 911
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1 http://www.cdc.gov/HeartDisease/facts.htm
2 http://www.cdc.gov/stroke/statistics_maps.htm
3 http://archinte.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=618311
4 http://www.joponline.org/doi/abs/10.1902/jop.1996.67.10s.1123
5 http://jdr.sagepub.com/content/75/9/1631.full.pdf+html.
6 Koop CE. Oral Health 2000. Second National Consortium Advance Program, 2, 1993.