Heart health is a huge problem in the UK, with cardiovascular disease accounting for around a quarter of all deaths every year. And globally it is the leading cause of deaths, accounting for around 18 million fatalities every year.
This includes conditions and diseases such as coronary heart disease, which can lead to heart failure and heart attacks, strokes and peripheral arterial disease.
If not caught early and treated, cardiovascular disease can prove fatal. Therefore, spotting any warning signs is vital.
Some of the signs of heart disease are fairly well known, such as chest pain. However, others are less so.
According to an expert, one warning sign of heart problems can appear in an unlikely place – the mouth.
A dentist revealed that a sign in your mouth could be a key signifier of potential heart trouble.
Speaking on the Zoe podcast Dr Alp Kantarci, warned that gum disease and poor dental health in general, could raise your risk of cardiovascular diseases.
This is because gum disease and the impact that it has on the stomach microbes and body in general had a big impact on inflammation – which puts the body in general under a lot of pressure.
He explained how heart attacks and strokes are triggered and said: “Most of the cardiovascular diseases or cardiac diseases are the results of your blood vessels, mainly aorta becoming clogged and the aorta is the major vessel coming out from your heart and distributing all the blood to that.
“That’s where you get the cardiac arrest. The aorta is like a hose and it comes all the way from your heart and goes into the rest of your body.
“So that hose is now being blocked by the lipids, by the fat layers internally, that cannot really pass through.
“That’s where you’re going to get a heart attack because if one of these blockages reaches to your heart and then it actually causes your heart not to function, then you’re going to a heart attack.”
If these fat deposits, or lipids, reach the brain they can also lead to a stroke.
A thrombus is a healthy response to injury intended to stop and prevent further bleeding but Dr Kantarci said it can “go anywhere, it can clog any part of your body”.
He continued: “It can basically cause you to get paralysed and, and so forth.”
The state of your mouth can have a big impact one this.
He said: “So this is a process that can be completely aggravated and got worse by the gum disease through two mechanisms.
“So you treat two things. Number one, you reduce the bacterial load by treating gum disease.
“But the second one is that you’re also reducing your inflammatory burden on your body by treating gum disease.”
His warning is backed by experts at Harvard Health.
“People with gum disease (also known as periodontal disease) have two to three times the risk of having a heart attack, stroke, or other serious cardiovascular event,” they say.
However, it is not clear if there is a “direct” connection.
Harvard Health experts add: “Many people with heart disease have healthy gums, and not everyone with gum disease develops heart problems.
“Shared risk factors, such as smoking or an unhealthy diet, may explain the association. Still there’s a growing suspicion that gum disease may be an independent risk factor for heart disease.”
To help prevent gum disease the NHS recommends you:
- Brush your teeth with fluoride toothpaste at least twice a day – spit after brushing, do not rinse
- Clean in between your teeth every day using floss or interdental brushes
- Replace your toothbrush every one to three months
- See a dentist and dental hygienist for regular check-ups, especially if you’re pregnant or have type 2 diabetes
- Do not use mouthwash straight after brushing your teeth
- Do not smoke.
