Integrative Health Blog

Recently you may have read or heard that "The American Heart Association (AHA) has said that Periodontal Disease (gum disease) is not a cause of heart disease." This statement was on virtually every news outlet including newspapers. What is interesting is that there was so little depth to this "news bite."

In fact, what the AHA said was that no one can say what the cause of heart disease actually is. By this, they mean that heart disease, the number one killer in the USA,  is a "multi-factorial" disease.

Heart disease has many contributors to its cause, and any of these contributors may indeed be the cause in any one patient. Contributors to heart disease include obesity, smoking, lack of exercise, genetics, periodontal disease, and other factors. No single factor might be the cause in any one case.

Inflammation and Heart Disease

What the statement by the American Heart Association went on to say is that one factor can be found in all cases of heart disease, and that is inflammation. It also said that this inflammation can be measured in the body in several ways. One of the ways to measure is with a lab test called  hsCRP,  high-sensitivity C-reactive protein test.  This is a blood test which demonstrates inflammation levels in the body, and it is more sensitive to protein levels than a standard C-reactive protein test. C-reactive protein is made in the liver and will rise as the level of inflammation in the  body rises. The statement by the AHA also went on to say that the treatment and resolution of any of the contributory factors to heart disease will decrease inflammation in the body and therefore will help lower the risks of heart disease.

So, please see your dentist regularly or call NIHA's holistic dentists and schedule a consultation to evaluate the health of your gums using our phase contrast microscope and a thorough dental examination. Any periodontal issues or early gum disease can be addressed early to get inflammation under control and managed with good hygiene and periodontal (gum) therapies.

Good oral health contributes to the health of the whole body, including the heart!

Call  202-237-7000, ext. 2, or use the form to request an appointment.