Oral Bacteria Found in Clogged Arteries
Posted on: Wednesday, 23 March 2005, 00:00 CST
U.S. researchers have found the bacteria that cause gum disease inside human artery-clogging plaque.
Gum disease has been linked to hardening of the arteries for nearly a decade, and scientists have long identified two strains of oral bacteria as the obvious suspects behind many cases of atherosclerosis. Now, researchers at the University of Florida said they have isolated the first concrete evidence to link the pathogens with heart disease.
The oral bacteria UF researchers found in the plaque -- Porphyromonas gingivalis and Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans -- are two of the most aggressive causes of periodontal disease, the leading culprit in adult tooth loss.
Because of the strong association between periodontal and cardiovascular diseases, scientists have thought for years that oral pathogens contribute to arterial damage that leads to heart attack or stroke, which kill nearly 1 million people a year in the United States.
A recent study conducted elsewhere found a direct correlation between the amount of periodontal bacteria in the mouth and the formation of blockages in the carotid artery in the neck.
Source: United Press International
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