Whether overweight, high blood pressure or diabetes: various circumstances increase the risk of cardiovascular events such as heart attack and Co. But oral health also apparently plays a role.Because oral bacteria can favor a heart attack.

Up to every third death in this country goes back to cardiovascular disease such as a heart attack. The causes of this are diverse. While, among other things, lifestyle – unhealthy nutrition, lack of exercise, smoking – has a decisive influence, previous illnesses such as hypertension or diabetes are also corresponding risk factors.And the oral flora is also part of it. Exactly certain oral bacteria can play a role and favor a heart attack, researchers now found out.

Viridans streptococci: mouth bacteria promote heart attacks

in turn. As a team of researchers from the University of Tampere (Finland) found, supposedly harmless viridans streptococci from the mouth can increase the risk of a heart attack. This was confirmed by the results of an investigation of artery tissue in the case of people who died of sudden cardiac death as well as in patients: inside, to whom surgical plaques were removed. in almost half of the analyzed vascular changes, the special oral bacteria could be found, which ultimately led to a heart attack.

The oral bacteria are tiel of the dental surface and, such as, get into the blood when brushing your teeth or chewing. With the help of a biofilm,you can set yourself deep inside of plaques and form colonies that are not recognized by the body’s immune cells and are therefore not fought and are also resistant to antibiotics. If the bacteria are activated,they can cause inflammation and thus lead to bursting the plaques,which means that the risk of heart attack can increase.

the problem: Ofen the settlement of the oral bacteria is unnoticed for a long time. in order to prevent events such as heart attacks or strokes in the future, the oral health and the associated possible hidden bacterial inflammation should also be taken into account.