Battling For Health

Apologies for failing to bring you the news round up last Friday. Taht was due to technical problems coupled with public holidays. But I’m happy to bring you once again the latest heart and stroke new this weekend. Happy reading.

CVD medical innovation watch

FDA approves first imaging agent to enhance scans of blood flow
The UD FSA has just approved the first contrast imaging agent to be used with magnetic resonance angiography, or MRA. MRA is a non-invasive imaging diagnostic tool that looks at the blood vessels to check for vascular diseases including atherosclerosis. It used to be performed with the use of contrast agents. The newly approved agent Vasovist (gadofosveset trisodium) “provides clinicians with a much clearer scan of blood vessels, compared to MRA without contrast, even in vessels that are difficult to scan because they twist and turn in the body.”

CVD lifestyle watch

Smoke-free Policy Leads to Dramatic, Sustained Drop in Heart Attack Hospitalizations in Pueblo, Colorado
Heart attack rate is down in Pueblo. Colorado. This is due to a municipal ordinance that made public places as well as workplaces smoke-free since July 2003. The 41% decrease was sustained even after 3 years. This is one of the first studies to show that the cardiovascular benefits of a smoke-free environment is sustainable in the long-term. This latest study, which covers three years after the Pueblo smoke-free law?s effective date, suggests that the initial reduction in heart attack hospitalizations observed after a smoke-free law takes effect is sustained over an extended period. Smoke-free laws likely reduce heart attack hospitalizations both by reducing secondhand smoke exposure among non-smokers and by reducing smoking, with the first factor making the larger contribution.

CVD healthcare watch

HCUP facts and figures, 2006; statistics on hospital-based care in the United States
57.9 billion dollars - that’s how much it had cost American hospitals for treatment of common cardiovascular diseases in 2006. This health expenditure is 40% more than in 1997. Most common treatments are heart attack victim treatments and opening clogged arteries.

CVD research watch

New DEcIDE Studies Evaluate Use of ?eta-Blockers
Two studies funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) DEcIDE program of investigate the use of beta blocker drugs in the elderls. DEcIDE stands for Developing Evidence to Inform Decisions about Effectiveness. The first study compared the beta blockers atenolol, metoprolol tartrate, and carvedilol in the treatment of patients with heart failure. The second study compared the 1-year survival rates of four betablockers (carvedilol, metoprolol succinate, and bisoprolol fumarate) that had been previously used for heart failure treatment vs those that have not been tested for the said condition.

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Here is another lifestyle tip for 2009: To prevent heart disease, visit your dentist.

Now, you’d ask what does your dental hygiene have to do with your cardiovascular health? Well, it has something to do with two seeming different but apparently related health conditions: periodontal or gum disease and atherosclerosis.

Periodontal or gum diseases, also known as periodontitis range from “simple gum inflammation [gingivitis] to serious disease that results in major damage to the soft tissue and bone that support the teeth. In the worst cases, teeth are lost.”

Atherosclerosis is defined as “the progressive narrowing and hardening of the arteries over time.” When this happens to the coronary arteries supplying the heart, it leads to coronary artery disease (CAD). CAD causes angina (chest pains) and heart attacks when blood clots form in the narrowed arteries, thereby blocking blood supply to the heart. CAD can also weaken the heart muscles and can cause abnormal hearth rhythms (arrhythmias) and heart failure.

Atherosclerosis can also lead to blockage of arteries supplying the brain, causing stroke.

So where is the link?

The link is in the systematic inflammation that is characteristic of the two diseases. In particular, the bacteria Porphyromonas gingivalis that cause gum lesions are also associated with the development of atherosclerotic plaques.

A recent study by Italian researchers showed that a simple dental workup could lead to lower risk for atherosclerosis, and thus cardiovascular diseases. The researchers enrolled 35 healthy adults with mild to moderate periodontal disease. They underwent periodontal treatment which involved “removal of tartar and cleaning the gums, and that’s it-no surgery and no antibiotics-just your basic dental hygiene.” The intima media thickness (IMT) of the carotid artery was regularly checked as well as inflammation biomarkers for cardiovascular risk. The results of the study can be summarized as:

• Periodontal treatment resulted in a significant decrease in the total oral bacterial load.
• The treatment also led to decreased levels of inflammation biomarkers as well as adhesion and activation proteins.
• The carotid IMT was significantly reduced starting 6 months after periodontal treatment and persisted even up to 12 months or longer.

This is the first study to demonstrate that dental hygiene can actually prevent, even reverse atherosclerosis. However, a more comprehensive study involving more participants is on the way to confirm the results.

The authors give us the following take-home message:

“By taking good care of your teeth and gums, you can not only prevent the development of atherosclerosis, you can also reduce your risk of developing cardiovascular disease.”

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