Gum Disease And Heart Attack

Posted on September 24th, 2007 by admin

Beware if you have chronic gum disease or scientifically known as periodontitis. Study has shown that people who have periodontitis are at an increased risk of heart attack and stroke.

Blood samples are taken from twelve people with advanced periodontitis and twelve people with healthy gums.

The results of the study indicated that those who have gum disease had higher levels of bad cholesterol or LDL.

There are two types of cholesterol: Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) and High Density Lipoprotein (HDL). HDL is considered as the good cholesterol because having a large amount of HDL can help to lower the risk of heart attack. On the other hand, having a large amount of LDL tends to increase plaque deposits in the arteries and increase the risk of heart failure. Hence LDL is labelled as the bad cholesterol.

If you have gum disease, please see your doctor immediately for a blood test and medication. The good news is that the amount of bad cholesterol (LDL) can be lowered through proper medication and lifestyle changes.