Tag Archives: heart disease

Brush Teeth Twice a Day to Help Prevent Heart Disease

Posted on 13. Jul, 2010 by wisdom.

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A new study lead by Professor Richard Watt from University College London has analyzed the Scottish Healthy Survey results of 11,000 adults. The study set out to  investigate whether the number of times individuals brush their teeth has any consequences on the risk of developing heart disease.

In the survey individuals were asked how often they visited the dentist (at least once every six months, every one to two years, or rarely/never) and how often they brushed their teeth (twice a day, once a day or less than once a day).

On a separate the respondents had  nurses collected information on medical history and family history of heart disease, blood pressure. In addition blood samples from those who consented were collected. The samples enabled the researchers to determine levels of inflammation that were present in the body.

The results demonstrate that oral health behaviours were generally good with 62% of those saying they visit the dentist every 6 months and 71% saying that they brush their teeth twice a day.

The data was then adjusted for established cardio risk factors such as obesity, smoking,  social class, and family history of heart disease.

This allowed the researchers to determine that participants who reported less frequent toothbrushing had a 70% extra risk of heart disease compared to individuals who brushed their teeth twice a day. In addition,  individuals with poor oral hygiene tested positive for inflammatory markers.

Clearly this study demonstrates that you should be brushing your teeth in the morning and in the evening. If you are not already doing so take proactive steps to remember by perhaps writing yourself notes or having someone else remind you.

Source: Cesar de Oliveira, Richard Watt,and Mark Hamer,. Toothbrushing, inflammation, and risk of cardiovascular disease: results from Scottish Health Survey. BMJ, 2010;340:c2451

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Gene Linked to Increased Heart Disease in Migraine Women

Posted on 11. Nov, 2008 by wisdom.

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Heart disease is the leading cause of death and stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States.

Women who experience migraine with aura appear to be at an increased risk of heart disease and stroke if they have a certain gene.

For the study, researchers followed 25,001 Caucasian women for the occurrence of cardiovascular disease, including heart attacks and ischemic stroke. About 18 percent of the women in the study had a history of migraine while 40 percent of those with active migraine reported migraine with aura. Migraine with aura can be described as neurological symptoms that usually last for about 30 minutes and most often lead to visual disturbances. The women were also tested for a certain gene variant in the methyleneterahydrofolate reductase gene.

During a 12-year follow-up period, 625 cardiovascular disease events occurred.

The study found that women who had both the gene variant and migraine with aura had more than three times the risk of cardiovascular disease, which was driven by four times the risk for stroke compared with women who did not have the gene variant and no history of migraine.

“This gene by itself does not appear to increase the risk for overall and for specific cardiovascular disease, but rather this research suggests a possible connection between the gene variant and migraine with aura. While it is too early to start testing young women with migraine with aura for this gene variant, more focused research will help us to understand these complex links and will help us to potentially develop preventative strategies,” said study author Tobias Kurth, MD, ScD.

“Doctors should try to reduce heart disease risk factors and advise young women who experience migraine with aura not to smoke and to consider birth control pill alternatives as these increase the risk of ischemic vascular problems,” said Kurth.

Adapted from Materials by the American Academy of Neurology.

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