Need a healthy heart? Brush teeth properly

There is one more reason for you to brush your teeth properly and take good care of your gums now.

According to a latest medical find, good oral hygiene also ensures a healthy heart.

Says cardiologist, Max Hospital, Dr Praveen Chandra, “Of my daily heart patients 20-25 per cent have oral problems.”

So how exactly does brushing the teeth help the heart? “Bacteria causing oral and cardiac problems are the same. Food particles stuck to teeth lead to bacterial growth which can reach heart,” says HOD, Dept of Dentistry, Max Hospital, Dr Ramesh Mathur.

Bleeding gums can also result in bacteria entering the bloodstream. Cardiologists warn that individuals with a particular heart problem are more prone to infections due to lack of oral hygiene.

“For those with valve problems oral health is very important,” says Dr Chandra. Healthy gums and teeth are also important if you are looking at valve surgery.

Cold weather can increase heart disease risk

Cold weather can prove to be dangerous for people with heart diseases.

The rapidly dropping mercury levels have been known to be particularly unkind to heart patients.

“Forty years ago I was cricket captain, shot put champion, expert javelin thrower when I was in college, I want to get back to my old active life,” says a heart patient, Dhruv Sharma.

Bur for a man who has undergone an angioplasty less than 24 hours ago, 61-year-old Dhruva's enthusiasm is infectious.

"In cold weather arteries tend to get constricted and this can prove to be particularly harmful for heart patients,” says Director of Cardiology, Jaslok Hospital, Mumbai, Dr Ashwin B Mehta.