Gum bacteria known to cause dental plaque can move from the mouth into the bloodstream, leading to clots that increase the risk of heart disease and heart attacks.
The findings were presented at the Society for General Microbiology autumn meeting at the University of Nottingham, UK over the weekend.
Both gum disease and tooth plaque are caused by Streptococcus bacteria buildup inside human mouths, a result of poor dental hygiene. Gum disease can lead to bleeding gums, which allows the bacteria to pour into the bloodstream. It subsequently uses a protein to commandeer blood platelets, which form clots. Because the bacteria is obscured by the clump of platelets it attracts, it makes it difficult for the immune system to detect and can make antibiotic treatment less effective.
Now that the research team knows the mechanism of action, it hopes to replicate these findings in a lab setting in order to find ways to block the clumping action of the bacteria and platelets.
In a press release, the researchers said this evidence was further proof of the importance of good oral hygiene, including regular trips to the dentist.
An active ingredient found in a controlled substance and recreational drug on the streets of North America can help reduce anxiety in patients with advanced-stage cancer in a safe and feasible manner, according to a study published in the Archives of General Psychiatry.
Psilocybin, considered a hallucinogen and commonly found in the street drug magic mushrooms, was experimented with repeatedly in patients with advanced cancer from the 1950s to the 1970s and was found to help improve mood and reduce the need for narcotics for pain relief. While there has been no follow-up research, one team out of Los Angeles decided to explore the safety and effectiveness of psilocybin in 12 adult patients with advanced cancer and anxiety.
The patients participated in two six-hour treatment sessions where they were given either a dose of psilocybin or a placebo in capsules. Vital signs such as blood pressure, body temperature and heart rate were monitored before and after. Psychological tests were then conducted to assess anxiety, mood and depression, before and after each session, after one day, two weeks later and once a month for six months.
According to the authors, “Safe physiological and psychological responses were documented during treatment sessions. We also observed no adverse psychological effects from the treatment. All subjects tolerated the treatment sessions well with no indication of severe anxiety or a ‘bad trip.’”
Anxiety scores improved one to three months after treatment, while improvements to depression began after a couple of weeks and reached their highest level after six months.
Men who don’t sleep long enough or go for long periods without sleeping at all are four times more likely to die than men who sleep regularly, according to a study published in the journal SLEEP.
The study is one of the first to demonstrate that chronic insomnia and short sleep as measured in a lab is linked to higher mortality in men.
For the study, 1,000 women of an average of 47 and 741 men around 50 years provided sleep histories to researchers, had a physical exam and slept one night in a lab so sleep duration could be effectively measured. Findings were adjusted for such issues as smoking, drinking, depression and other ailments and diseases.
After following the women for 10 years and the men for 14 years, the team found that 14 per cent of all total participants died. Of those, 145 were women and 103 were men. After adjusting for the 14-year follow-up for men, the researchers found that men with chronic insomnia and sleep duration of less than six hours had a mortality rate of 51.1 per cent, compared to 9.1 per cent for those who did not suffer from either. There was no such correlation observed in the women who took part in the study. Individuals with diabetes or hypertension and chronic insomnia and short sleep also had a higher mortality risk.
The six-hour threshold was simply selected as a useful cut-off point. The average adult requires seven to eight hours of sleep each night.
Researchers at the University of Western Ontario have demonstrated direct evidence that chronic stress plays a significant role in heart attack risk — and they have the hair to prove it.
While significant, chronic life stressors have been repeatedly linked with heart attacks, there has been no biological ‘marker’ or indicator to measure chronic stress. The team at the university decided to focus on the levels of cortisol — a hormone associated with stress — found in the hairs of individuals prior to a heart attack.
The study can be found in the online journal Stress.
Hair samples three centimetres long were collected from 56 male adults who were admitted to a hospital in Israel, while hair from 56 other male patients were also solicited. Using the fact that hair grows one centimetre a month, the team was able to measure cortisol levels in each hair to determine stress. After comparing the samples from the two groups, the research team found higher hair cortisol levels in the group of patients that suffered a heart attack as compared with the other group.
Dr. Gideon Koren said the study has implications for research and practices.
