A study carried out at the University of Florida, in the United States of America, showed that the bacteria that cause gum disease are also those that promote heart disease.
“There is evidence that introducing oral bacteria into the bloodstream of laboratory mice increases risk factors for heart disease and arteriosclerosis. Our hope is that the American Heart Association will recognize the causal relationships between oral bacteria and the increase in heart disease. This will change the way physicians diagnose and treat patients with heart disease,” says Irina M. Velsko, one of the study’s authors.
In 2012, the American Heart Association published a statement in which it announced that it argues that there is an association between gum disease and heart disease, but not a causal association between them.
Source: http://www.saudeoral.pt/news.aspx?menuid=8&eid=6826 Tags: heart disease