No Proof That Gum Disease Causes Heart Disease, Experts Say

April 18th, 2012

FAKE NEWS for the Zionist agenda

WEDNESDAY, April 18 (HealthDay News) — A new scientific
statement issued by the American Heart Association says no convincing
evidence exists linking untreated gum disease to heart disease or stroke.
Nor is there strong evidence that treating gum disease can reduce your
risk of heart disease or stroke, the report says.

For more than 100 years, it was said that gum, or periodontal, disease
could lead to cardiovascular disease, a major cause of death in the United
States, but an extensive analysis found no proof of that connection.

“It’s a statement that current science does not support a direct
association or a causative association,” said Dr. Peter Lockhart, a
professor, dentist and co-chair of oral medicine at the Carolinas Medical
Center, in Charlotte, N.C.

The report has been in the works for more than three years, Lockhart
said. “It was a matter of finding out, what is the state of the
science?”

The statement, released April 18, is published in the journal
Circulation.

The American Dental Association‘s Council on Scientific Affairs agrees
with the statement. The World Heart Federation, a nongovernmental
organization that fights heart disease globally, also endorses it.

Many U.S. adults suffer from some form of gum disease, which can range
from mild swelling and redness to periodontitis, when the gums pull away
from the teeth and develop pockets that get infected.

The writing group — co-chaired by cardiologist Dr. Ann Bolger of the
University of California, San Francisco — combed the medical literature
on cardiovascular and gum disease from 1950 until mid-July 2011. They
found more than 500 studies, and looked in-depth at the most scientific
ones.

Gum disease, heart disease and stroke all produce inflammation in the
body. The conditions share some risk factors, such as cigarette smoking,
age and diabetes, which is why they often develop in the same people.

However, the writing group did not feel the evidence is strong enough
to say gum disease causes heart disease or stroke.

“So far, there is no conclusive evidence [of a cause-effect
relationship],” Lockhart said. “If cause and effect is someday proven, it
will probably be fairly minor,” he said.

Other experts agree.

“If patients have heart disease and gum disease, they have two separate
problems,” said Dr. Robert Myerburg, a professor of medicine in the
division of cardiology at the University of Miami Miller School of
Medicine.

Those with gum disease and heart disease should be aware, Myerburg
said, that treatment of gum disease is not going to improve their heart
problems. “Nor will treatment of your heart problems improve your gum
problems.”

In agreement with the new statement, too, is the American Academy of
Periodontology, said Dr. Pamela McClain, a periodontist in Aurora, Colo.,
and president of the academy. Its members treat patients with gum
disease. “The academy agrees that science doesn’t support a causal
relationship between periodontal disease as a direct cause of
cardiovascular disease,” she said.

However, she disagrees with Lockhart’s statement that if a cause-effect
relationship is found, it will be minor. “It’s hard to predict. We may
find a stronger link,” she said.

“The message should be, we can’t say there is proof of a causal
relationship,” McClain said. “We know there is definitely a link between
these.”

Bottom line, all experts agree, is that if you have either disease, you
need treatment.

And if you have gum disease, you can’t expect treatment to prevent
heart disease.

More information

To learn more about the heart, visit the World Heart Federation.