05/30/2010 // US // TiffNews10 // News Desk
Researchers have found a link between regular toothbrushing and heart health. As reported by HealthDay News, a recent study suggests that maintaining good oral hygiene may lower one’s risk of heart disease.
Richard Watt, co-author of the study, is quoted in the report as stating of the findings, “We were surprised to find a relationship between toothbrushing frequency and both cardiovascular disease and inflammatory markers in the blood… We have not established a causal relationship, however. More research is needed to test if improving patients’ oral hygiene to reduce their gum inflammation has an effect on cardiovascular disease risk.”
Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum, a preventive cardiologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City and spokeswoman for the American Heart Association, is further quoted in the report as stating of the benefits of good oral hygiene, “We talk often about lifestyle behaviors such as smoking, exercise and diet, and one of the things we can’t forget about when it comes to self-maintenance is oral hygiene… It’s one new thing. Don’t smoke, eat right and brush your teeth.”
More information about the research may be found the BMJ.
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