LOS ANGELES, July 3 (UPI) -- Los Angeles researchers say there is a link between gum disease and the increased risk of stroke due to potential blockages of the carotid artery.
The blockages, or atheromas, contain calcium and can be detected on dental panoramic radiographs.
The University of California at Los Angeles study was conducted to determine if dental disease depicted on a panoramic radiograph is more prevalent among people with atheromas seen on their dental radiograph than among people without atheromas but matched for stroke risk factors -- such as body mass, smoking history, need for medications to control hypertension, hypercholesterolemia and diabetes.
The group with carotid atheromas seen on dental panoramic radiographs was found to have more dental disease, as determined by the number of teeth with decay, missing teeth, and the amount of bone loss around teeth, than the group without any radiographically detectable atheromas, according to the UCLA researchers.
The findings, presented at the 84th General Session of the International Association for Dental Research in Brisbane, indicate that dental disease may play a role in the formation of carotid atheromas in patients already at risk for stroke.
