Dental Infections May Increase Risk of Stroke

The following article appeared from the Washington Post Health, September 16, 1997 Written by Sally Squires

Dental Infections May Increase Risk of Stroke

People who have frequent dental infections and other chronic ailments, such as bronchitis, appear to have a higher risk of suffering a stroke, according to a new study by German researchers.

Several recent studies have linked infection by the bacteria Helicobacter pylori and Chlamydia pneumoniae and by the cytomegalovirus to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, blocked arteries and heart attacks. This is one of the first to look for an association between stroke, dental infections, and common bronchitis.

Exactly how these common infections may increase the risk of heart disease and stroke is no understood. But one theory is that the virus or bacteria infect cells lining the arteries and set in motion a series of events that eventually leads to the buildup of fatty plaque inside arteries. Should a vessel supplying the brain become completely closed, it could cause a stroke.

Armin Grau, chairman of the University of Heidelberg's neurology department,
and his colleagues examined 166 people who suffered either a stroke of a mini-stroke
(also known as a transientischemic attach, or TJAO between August 1995 and January
1996. Their average age was 61 years. They then compared this group of patients with
166 others of the same age who had not suffered a stroke.

According to their statistical analysis, the researchers estimated that the risk of stroke is twice as high in people with frequent or chronic bronchitis and two and a half times as high in people with poor dental status, such as cavities, gum infections, jaw bone infections and periodontics. Their results appeared in the September issue of the journal Stroke, published by the American Heart Association.

The finding suggest, Grau said, that treating such chronic infections may offer a new way to help prevent strokes. "Chronic infections may be a treatable condition and for preventive purposes it appears important to elucidate its role as a potential stroke risk factor." He said.