This entry was posted on 9/7/2007 10:24 AM and is filed under ARTICLES.
VIENNA: The health of your gums could be a window to the condition of your heart. In an interesting finding announced at the European Cardiology Congress here on Tuesday, a team of French cardiologists found that patients with a common form of gum infection called Periodontitis were more prone to develop coronary heart disease.
According to lead researcher Nicolas Amabile from Marseille hospital, Periodontitis increases inflammation of the blood, causing damage to the blood vessels.
The team has now urged the world's cardiology fraternity to start marking gum disease as a new risk factor to identify those likely to develop heart disease.
Chief cardiologist of Max Devki Devi Heart and Vascular Institute Dr Ashok Seth, who was present at the congress, told TOI that Periodontitis was always identified as the clearest predictor for diseases of the heart valve. ''But its connection with coronary artery disease (Cad) is new and interesting. It may be because inflammation, caused by Periodontitis, leads to Cad by triggering a preferential transfer of cholesterol from the heart vessels into the arterial walls,'' he said.
''We have always believed that Cad has a multifactorial origination. It has several risk factors, many of which are yet to be identified. Gum disease may be one of them. However, the sample size of the French study was small. To be certain of an association between the two conditions, one needs a large scale population-based study,'' he added.
Amabile agreed and said that more research should be done to see whether treating gum disease would help fight heart disease. Periodontitis is a common dental problem and occurs when plaque collects around the teeth and irritates the gums. Brushing regularly and flossing the teeth can keep it at bay.
