Date: Fri, 29 Dec 2000 21:11:10 -0600 (CST)

From Arcamax Health 12-29-00

POOR ORAL HEALTH INCREASES STROKE RISK

Want to lower your risk of a stroke? Brush your teeth. Stroke risk in people with gum disease is double that of people with good oral health, say doctors at the University of Buffalo. In the first national, population-based study of its kind, the investigators found a connection between periodontal disease, a severe infection of the gums and the bones that hold the teeth in place, and the most common form of stroke. In the study, which included nearly 10,000 people between the ages of 25 and 75, stroke risk was elevated in men, women, blacks, and whites alike, if they had periodontal disease. Lead author Dr. Tiejian Wu says that bacteria and bacterial toxins may enter the bloodstream from the mouth and produce an inflammatory reaction in the body, ultimately causing blood clots and damaging the lining of blood vessels, which may in turn raise the risk of a stroke. The fact that the findings cut across gender and race "may have important implications for individual and public health," says Dr. Wu.