Tooth decay may increase the risk of stroke!
Tooth decay may increase the risk of stroke!
Tooth decay may increase the risk of stroke! A new study shows that tooth decay may greatly increase the risk of life-threatening stroke due to brain hemorrhage.
Past studies have shown a link between gum infection and stroke, but few studies have explored the possible role of dental caries. In this new study, researchers specifically studied the relationship between tooth decay and stroke, which occurs when arteries in the brain rupture and engorge surrounding tissues.
(Image source: AHA)
Researchers looked at the data of 6,506 people who had not had a stroke, and then followed them for 30 years. In the first 15 years, those with tooth decay have a slightly higher risk of stroke due to cerebral hemorrhage, but in the next 15 years, their risk rises sharply.
In the second half of the study period, after adjusting for age, gender, race, and high blood pressure, people with tooth decay had a 4.5 times higher risk of stroke due to cerebral hemorrhage than people without cavities.
Dr. Suvik Sen, a co-author of the study, said that this is the first time people have studied the relationship between tooth decay and stroke. Although intracerebral hemorrhages (also called intracerebral hemorrhages) account for only 10% to 20% of all strokes, they are more deadly than the more common ischemic strokes, which occur when arterial blood flow is blocked. Although doctors can control the risk of ischemic stroke in many ways, the options for cerebral hemorrhage are limited.
Dr. Suvik Sen, a professor in the Department of Neurology at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine, said: “This research provides more insights into how we can solve and prevent this more destructive stroke.”
Elizabeth Lavali, a student at the Medical College of South Carolina, presented the research at the Virtual International Stroke Conference of the American Stroke Association. This is one of two studies on oral disease and stroke provided by Sen and his colleagues for this meeting. The second study showed that gum disease is related to damage to the tiny blood vessels in the brain.
Sen said that gum disease may be caused by 20 to 30 different types of bacteria, but tooth decay is mainly caused by one type of bacteria: Streptococcus mutans, which has been linked to cerebral hemorrhage in animal studies.
Sen said that although Streptococcus mutans is the most likely “culprit” in the results of the study, the limitation of the study is that it did not identify the type of bacteria that caused the cavity. He is currently investigating this issue in another study, and he hopes to see work on antibiotics or other treatments for tooth decay that may reduce the risk of stroke.
Sen said that today, the only effective strategy to prevent tooth decay is to seek dental care regularly. “Maybe we need to start thinking about how to actively treat patients with Streptococcus mutans at an early stage.”
(source:internet, reference only)
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