Study: Patients With Gum Disease May Be More Likely To Suffer Heart Attack, Stroke, Severe Chest Pain

Reuters reported that a study finds an association between gum disease and heart disease and stroke. According to the article, the “study of more than 60,000 dental patients” indicated that “those with gum disease were twice as likely to have had a heart attack, stroke or severe chest pain.” Researchers found that “even after taking other risk factors for cardiovascular disease into account, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and smoking,” individuals “with periodontal disease were still 59 percent more likely to have a history of heart problems.” The findings were published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.