<p>Brushing teeth three or more times a day may be associated with a lower risk of irregular heartbeat and heart failure, according to a study carried out in South Korea.</p>.<p>Previous studies suggest that poor oral hygiene leads to bacteria in the blood, causing inflammation in the body, the researchers said.</p>.<p>Inflammation increases the risks of atrial fibrillation or irregular heartbeat, and heart failure -- a condition where the heart's ability to pump blood or relax, and fill with blood is impaired, they said.</p>.<p>The latest study, published on Monday in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, examined the connection between oral hygiene and occurrence of these two conditions.</p>.<p>The research enrolled 161,286 participants of the Korean National Health Insurance System aged 40 to 79 with no history of atrial fibrillation or heart failure.</p>.<p>Participants underwent a routine medical examination between 2003 and 2004.</p>.<p>Information was collected on height, weight, laboratory tests, illnesses, lifestyle, oral health, and oral hygiene behaviours.</p>.<p>During a follow-up of 10.5 years, 4,911 (3 per cent) participants developed atrial fibrillation and 7,971 (4.9 per cent) developed heart failure.</p>.<p>Tooth brushing three or more times a day was associated with a 10 per cent lower risk of atrial fibrillation and a 12 per cent reduced risk of heart failure during the same time, the study found.</p>.<p>Senior author Tae-Jin Song, from the Ewha Woman's University in South Korea, noted that the analysis was limited to one country, and as an observational study does not prove causation.</p>.<p>"We studied a large group over a long period, which adds strength to our findings," he said.</p>.<p>The findings were independent of a number of factors including age, sex, socioeconomic status, regular exercise, alcohol consumption, body mass index, and disorders such as hypertension, the researchers noted.</p>.<p>While the study did not investigate mechanisms, one possibility is that frequent tooth brushing reduces bacteria in the subgingival biofilm -- bacteria living in the pocket between the teeth and gums -- thereby preventing translocation to the bloodstream. </p>
<p>Brushing teeth three or more times a day may be associated with a lower risk of irregular heartbeat and heart failure, according to a study carried out in South Korea.</p>.<p>Previous studies suggest that poor oral hygiene leads to bacteria in the blood, causing inflammation in the body, the researchers said.</p>.<p>Inflammation increases the risks of atrial fibrillation or irregular heartbeat, and heart failure -- a condition where the heart's ability to pump blood or relax, and fill with blood is impaired, they said.</p>.<p>The latest study, published on Monday in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, examined the connection between oral hygiene and occurrence of these two conditions.</p>.<p>The research enrolled 161,286 participants of the Korean National Health Insurance System aged 40 to 79 with no history of atrial fibrillation or heart failure.</p>.<p>Participants underwent a routine medical examination between 2003 and 2004.</p>.<p>Information was collected on height, weight, laboratory tests, illnesses, lifestyle, oral health, and oral hygiene behaviours.</p>.<p>During a follow-up of 10.5 years, 4,911 (3 per cent) participants developed atrial fibrillation and 7,971 (4.9 per cent) developed heart failure.</p>.<p>Tooth brushing three or more times a day was associated with a 10 per cent lower risk of atrial fibrillation and a 12 per cent reduced risk of heart failure during the same time, the study found.</p>.<p>Senior author Tae-Jin Song, from the Ewha Woman's University in South Korea, noted that the analysis was limited to one country, and as an observational study does not prove causation.</p>.<p>"We studied a large group over a long period, which adds strength to our findings," he said.</p>.<p>The findings were independent of a number of factors including age, sex, socioeconomic status, regular exercise, alcohol consumption, body mass index, and disorders such as hypertension, the researchers noted.</p>.<p>While the study did not investigate mechanisms, one possibility is that frequent tooth brushing reduces bacteria in the subgingival biofilm -- bacteria living in the pocket between the teeth and gums -- thereby preventing translocation to the bloodstream. </p>