According to scientific research, there appears to be aconnection between dental hygiene and heart health in women.
A study conducted by researchers at the University of Californiaat Berkeley School of Public Health found that women who visitedthe dentist regularly lowered their risk of having a heart attack.Statistics from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute showthe No. 1 cause of death in women is heart disease, and 23 percentof women die within one year of a first recognized heart attack.therefore, dental hygiene may be one way to protect women from therisk of a heart attack.
There is a known relationship between inflammation in bloodvessels and cardiovascular disease, including heart attacks. Onehypothesis to explain the connection between good dental hygieneand reduced heart disease is the reduction of bacteria in thebloodstream that can lead to inflammation.
It’s important to know the symptoms of a heart attack for women,which can be different from those experienced by men.
Heart attack symptoms in women include:
• Shortness of breath
• Extreme fatigue or inability to perform daily activities asusual
• cold sweats
• Heart palpitations
• Pain, tightness or pressure in the chest area
• Discomfort in other areas, including pain or discomfort in oneor both arms (especially the left arm), the back, between theshoulder blades, neck, jaw, teeth or abdomen
• Heartburn or indigestion
Women often hesitate or fail to call 911 when they experienceheart attack symptoms. most feel they are not really having a heartattack, do not want to raise a false alarm or self-diagnosethemselves as having heartburn or other minor health issues. If youeven think you are having a heart attack, call 911. Remember, timelost is heart muscle lost.
Dr. Andrea Moyer is a cardiologist at Cardiac Specialists ofSt. Luke’s. For more information, call 314-205-6699 or visitstlukes-stl.com. XX Files, a women’s health column, rotates eachweek with Aging Successfully, a column for seniors by Dr. JohnMorley of St. Louis University.