STROKES
Scientists at the University of California have found that gum disease may contribute to clogged carotid arteries (arteries that carry blood to the brain) leading to an increased risk of a stroke.

The results of the study, which used x-rays to measure the level of gum disease in people with blocked carotid arteries compared with people without blocked carotid arteries, were presented at a meeting of the International Association for Dental Research, in Australia.

They found that blocked carotid arteries were much more common in people who had gum disease, providing yet further proof of the systemic links between the mouth and the rest of the body.

• Chung, Friedlander et al of the University of California-Los Angeles at the 84th General Session & Exhibition of the International Association for Dental Research – June 2006