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Regular Dental Flossing Linked to Lower Risk of Stroke & Irregular Heartbeats

The AHA! Team — Wed, 09 Apr 2025 05:27:39 +0000

American Heart Association via News-Medical – Flossing your teeth at least once a week (regular dental flossing) may be linked to a lower risk of stroke Flossing your teeth at least once a week may be linked to a lower risk of stroke caused by a blood clot blocking brain blood flow and irregular heartbeats, according to a preliminary study to be presented at the American Stroke Association’s International Stroke Conference 2025. The meeting is in Los Angeles, Feb. 5-7, 2025, and is a world premier meeting for researchers and clinicians dedicated to the science of stroke and brain health. A recent global health report revealed that oral diseases – such as untreated tooth decay and gum disease – affected 3.5 billion people in 2022, making them the most widespread health conditions. We aimed to determine which oral hygiene behavior – dental flossing, brushing or regular dentist visits – has the greatest impact on stroke prevention.” Souvik Sen, M.D., M. S., M.P.H, study lead author, chair of the Department of Neurology, Prisma Health Richland Hospital and the University of South Carolina School of Medicine in Columbia, South Carolina A structured questionnaire of more than 6,000 people The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study, one of the first large-scale investigations of this kind in the U.S., assessed the home use of dental floss through a structured questionnaire of more than 6,000 people. Among those who reported flossing, 4,092 had not experienced a stroke, and 4,050 had not been diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat known as atrial fibrillation (AFib). Participants were asked about their status regarding high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, smoking, body mass index, education, regular brushing and dentist visits. During the 25 years of follow-up, 434 participants were identified as having strokes, of which 147 were larger artery brain clots, 97 were heart-driven clots and 95 were hardening of the smaller arteries. Additionally, 1,291 participants were noted to have experienced AFib. The analysis found: Flossing was associated with a 22% lower risk of ischemic stroke, 44% lower risk of cardioembolic stroke (blood clots traveling from the heart) and 12% lower risk of AFib. The associated lower risk was independent of regular brushing and routine dental visits or other oral hygiene behaviors. Increasing the frequency of flossing had a greater chance of stroke risk reduction. Flossing was also associated with a lower chance of cavities and periodontal disease. Researchers were surprised by the reduction of irregular heartbeats, or AFib. AFib is the most common form of irregular heartbeat. It can lead to stroke, heart failure or other cardiovascular complications. More than 12 million people are projected to have AFib in the United States by 2030, according to the American Heart Association’s 2025 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics. “Oral health behaviors are linked to inflammation and artery hardening. Flossing may reduce stroke risk by lowering oral infections and inflammation and encouraging other healthy habits,” Sen said. “Many people have expressed that dental care is costly. Flossing is a healthy habit that is easy to adopt, affordable and accessible everywhere.” Study limitations Study limitations include that data were based on answers to a questionnaire, and the 25-year follow-up appears to have focused on stroke and heart outcomes only. There was no follow-up concerning flossing or other oral behaviors over the years, Sen said. “This study offers more insights into the specific dental health behaviors that may be linked to stroke risks and potential risk reduction. With further research, dental health practices could possibly be incorporated into the “Life’s Essential 8″ risk factors, which include diet, physical activity, nicotine exposure, sleep, body mass index, blood pressure, blood glucose and blood lipids,” said Daniel T. Lackland, Dr.P.H., FAHA, American Heart Association EPI and Stroke Council member and professor of epidemiology and director of the Division of Translational Neurosciences and Population Studies in the department of neurology at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. Lackland was not involved in this study. Study background, and details: The study began in 1987 and is ongoing. Of the 6,258 participants, 82% were self-reported white adults and 18% Black adults. Their average age was 62 years and 55% were women. Potential participants were excluded if they had total tooth loss, dental implants, heart disease, organ transplant, artificial joints, implanted heart valve or stent or major surgery. Source: American Heart Association To read the original article click here.

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Women with Endometriosis May Have Higher Risk of Stroke

AHA Publisher — Mon, 25 Jul 2022 07:00:54 +0000

American Heart Association (AHA) via Newswise – DALLAS, July 21, 2022 — A large, prospective study found that women with endometriosis may have a higher risk of stroke compared to women without the chronic inflammatory condition, according to new research published today in Stroke, the peer-reviewed flagship journal of the American Stroke Association, a division of the American Heart Association. Endometriosis (abnormal growth of endometrial-like tissue outside the uterus) is estimated to affect approximately 10% of reproductive aged women in the U.S., according to study authors. Previous research found that women with endometriosis are at greater risk of cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. “These findings suggest that women with a history of endometriosis may be at higher risk of stroke,” said Stacey A. Missmer, Sc.D., study senior author and professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive biology at Michigan State University College of Human Medicine in Grand Rapids, Michigan. “Clinicians should look at the health of the whole woman, including elevated blood pressure, high cholesterol and other new stroke risk factors, not only symptoms specifically associated with endometriosis, such as pelvic pain or infertility.” In this study, researchers led by first author, Leslie V. Farland, Sc.D., assistant professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at University of Arizona in Tucson, examined the association between endometriosis and the development of ischemic stroke (caused by blood clots blocking blood flow) or hemorrhagic stroke (caused by bleeding in the brain) among women enrolled in the Nurses’ Health Study II. The analysis involved 112,056 women who were nurses between the ages of 25 and 42 years old from 14 U.S. states at the start of the study in 1989. The current study ended in 2017. A laparoscopy (surgical procedure in which a fiber-optic instrument is inserted through the abdominal wall to view the organs in the abdomen or to permit a surgical procedure) was used to make the diagnosis of endometriosis. Endometriosis was reported in 5,244 women and most of the participants (93%), including those diagnosed with endometriosis, were white women. Researchers analyzed data collected every two years for many possible confounders or risk factors, including alcohol intake, current body mass index, menstrual cycle pattern in adolescence, current oral contraceptive and postmenopausal hormone exposure, smoking history, diet, physical activity, aspirin use, race/ethnicity and income. Additionally, researchers investigated if the link between endometriosis and risk of stroke could be explained by other mediating factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, hysterectomy (removal of the uterus), oophorectomy (removal of the ovaries) and postmenopausal hormone therapy. During the 28 years of follow-up including medical record confirmations, researchers documented 893 strokes. The analysis found: Women with endometriosis (5,244) had a 34% greater risk of stroke, compared to those without the condition (106,812). The largest proportion of the stroke risk associated with endometriosis was linked to hysterectomy and/or oophorectomy (39%) and postmenopausal hormone therapy (16%). No significant differences were seen in the relationship between endometriosis and stroke across multiple factors – such as age, infertility history, body mass index or menopausal status. “There are circumstances when a hysterectomy and/or oophorectomy is the best choice for a woman, however, we also need to make sure that patients are aware of the potential health risks associated with these procedures,” Missmer said. “Other research also suggests that hysterectomy is associated with elevated stroke risk even if there is no history of endometriosis.” “These results do not indicate that women who have endometriosis will have a stroke. Instead, these findings signify only an association of moderate relative risk. The absolute risk of stroke in women is low,” Missmer said. “Women with endometriosis should pay attention to their whole body and discuss added risks and preventive options with their health care team.” “While we know that adverse pregnancy outcomes are associated with increased risk of premature cardiovascular disease, this study sheds light on the association of gynecological issues such as endometriosis with stroke, which could impact both patients and clinicians,” said American Heart Association Go Red for Women volunteer Garima Sharma, M.B.B.S., who is director of cardio-obstetrics and assistant director of medicine at Johns Hopkins Cardiology in Baltimore. “Most importantly, this study underscores the importance of understanding reproductive and gynecological history.” The study had several limitations. Data detailing subtypes of strokes was not available. As a result, the relationship between subtypes of strokes and endometriosis could not be evaluated. Another limitation of the study is that researchers were unable to determine the impact of time from endometriosis-associated symptom onset and age at endometriosis diagnosis. To read the original article click here.

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