GUM DISEASE, INFLAMMATION, HARDENED ARTERIES MAY BE LINKED TO STROKE RISK Gum disease was associated with a higher rate of strokes caused by hardening of large arteries in the brain and also with severe artery blockages that haven't yet caused symptoms, according to new research. Researchers examined 265 patients ( average age of 64; 49% white; 56% male) who experienced a stroke between 2015 and 2017, analyzing whether gum disease was associated with specific types of stroke. They found: Large artery strokes due to intracranial atherosclerosis were twice as common in patients with gum disease as in those without gum disease; Patients with gum disease were three times as likely to have a stroke involving blood vessels in the back of the brain, which controls vision, coordination and other vital bodily functions; and Gum disease was more common in patients who had a stroke involving large blood vessels within the brain, yet not more common among those who had a stroke due to blockage in blood vessels outside the skull. In 1,145 people who had not experienced a stroke, researchers measured blockages in arteries inside the brain. Researchers found: Arteries in the brain were severely blocked ( 50% or more) in 10% of participants; People with gingivitis (inflammation of the gums) were twice as likely to have moderately severe narrowed brain arteries from plaque buildup compared to those with no gum disease; and After adjusting for risk factors such as age, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, people with gingivitis were 2.4 times as likely to have severely blocked brain arteries. Presented as a service to the community by Dr. Barbara Webster 1121 Warren Ave., Suite 130, Downers Grove, IL 60515 630-663-0554 SM-CL1797937 GUM DISEASE, INFLAMMATION, HARDENED ARTERIES MAY BE LINKED TO STROKE RISK Gum disease was associated with a higher rate of strokes caused by hardening of large arteries in the brain and also with severe artery blockages that haven't yet caused symptoms, according to new research. Researchers examined 265 patients ( average age of 64; 49% white; 56% male) who experienced a stroke between 2015 and 2017, analyzing whether gum disease was associated with specific types of stroke. They found: Large artery strokes due to intracranial atherosclerosis were twice as common in patients with gum disease as in those without gum disease; Patients with gum disease were three times as likely to have a stroke involving blood vessels in the back of the brain, which controls vision, coordination and other vital bodily functions; and Gum disease was more common in patients who had a stroke involving large blood vessels within the brain, yet not more common among those who had a stroke due to blockage in blood vessels outside the skull. In 1,145 people who had not experienced a stroke, researchers measured blockages in arteries inside the brain. Researchers found: Arteries in the brain were severely blocked ( 50% or more) in 10% of participants; People with gingivitis (inflammation of the gums) were twice as likely to have moderately severe narrowed brain arteries from plaque buildup compared to those with no gum disease; and After adjusting for risk factors such as age, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, people with gingivitis were 2.4 times as likely to have severely blocked brain arteries. Presented as a service to the community by Dr. Barbara Webster 1121 Warren Ave., Suite 130, Downers Grove, IL 60515 630-663-0554 SM-CL1797937