古時候的觀察是對的，口腔保健和CV相關(CRP)

Poor Self-Reported Oral Hygiene and Excess Cardiovascular Risk

People who never or rarely brushed their teeth had 70% higher risk for adverse cardiovascular events.

Poor oral hygiene is the most important cause of periodontal disease, and self-reported oral hygiene can predict clinically important periodontal disease. Prior research findings suggest that periodontal disease is associated with excess risk for cardiovascular (CV) disease. In this Scottish population-based survey, investigators determined whether a simple self-reported measure of oral hygiene — frequency of tooth brushing — as a proxy of periodontal disease was associated with risk for adverse CV events (e.g., myocardial infarction, stroke, coronary artery bypass surgery).

Among the nearly 12,000 survey respondents (average age, 50), 555 adverse CV events (170 fatal) occurred during an average 8.1 years of follow-up. After adjustments for multiple confounders, participants who reported poor oral hygiene (never or rarely brushed teeth) had a significant 70% higher risk for adverse CV events than did those who reported good oral hygiene (brushed teeth twice a day). Likewise, participants who reported poor oral hygiene had significantly higher blood levels of C-reactive protein and fibrinogen.

Comment: Self-reported poor oral hygiene — never or rare tooth brushing — is associated with elevated risk for CV events and higher blood levels of inflammatory markers. Whether improving oral hygiene mitigates this risk is unclear. Nevertheless, regardless of the association between oral hygiene and CV risk, clinicians can reasonably encourage patients to practice good oral hygiene for good oral health.

— Paul S. Mueller, MD, MPH, FACP

Published in Journal Watch General Medicine June 8, 2010