Brush your teeth to protect your heart

A large study finds that brushing your teeth three or more times a day helps to reduce your risk of heart failure and atrial fibrillation. — AFP

A vast South Korean observational study has added weight to the theory that good oral hygiene reduces risks of cardiovascular disease.

According to the latest research, brushing your teeth three or more times per day lowers the risk of heart failure by 12%.

In recent years, several studies have indicated that brushing your teeth regularly and correctly helps to prevent heart disease.

To verify this theory, doctors at Ewha Womans University in Seoul, South Korea, conducted a vast study on 161,286 South Koreans aged between 40 and 79, who had no history of heart disease.

The study, which has been published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, focused on data from the South Korean national health system, in particular, on routine medical examinations that took place between 2003 and 2004.

Using these sources, the researchers benefited from information on the height, weight, laboratory test results, possible diseases, lifestyle and oral health of the patients participating in the study.

The authors of the study then analysed the volunteers’ medical data over a median period of 10.5 years to measure the prevalence of atrial fibrillation (arrhythmic heart disorder) or heart failure.

The results showed that over a little more than ten years, 4,911 participants (3%) developed atrial fibrillation and 7,971 (4.9%), heart failure.

Participants who brushed their teeth three or more times a day, benefited from a 10% reduction in atrial fibrillation and a 12% reduction in heart failure.

The incidence of these diseases was measured independently of a number of factors such as age, gender, socioeconomic status, regular exercise, alcohol consumption and body mass index (BMI).

Although the study did not determine the exact mechanism underlying the relationship between frequent tooth-brushing and potentially mitigated negative effects on arteries, the findings suggest that frequent teeth brushing could reduce oral bacteria between the teeth and the gums, and prevent their translocation into systemic circulation.

“While the role of inflammation in the occurrence of cardiovascular disease is becoming more and more evident, intervention studies are needed to define strategies of public health importance,” points out an accompanying editorial in the journal.

Senior author Dr Song Tae-Jin also argues that more research in several countries will be necessary to validate this theory. – AFP Relaxnews