Stroke Smart pg 10, April 2002.
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Now
doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three
simplequestions:
1. *Ask the individual to SMILE.
2. *Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.
3. *Ask the person to SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently)
(i.e. . . It is
sunny out today) If he or she has trouble with any of these
tasks, call
9-1-1 immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.
After discovering that a group of non-medical volunteers could
identify facial weakness, arm weakness and speech problems,
researchers urged the general public to learn the three
questions. They presented their conclusions at the American
Stroke Association's annual meeting last February. Widespread
use of this test could result in prompt diagnosis and treatment
of the stroke and prevent brain damage.
Stroke News
Updates
TIA is
defined as a stroke in which the neurological symptoms resolve
within 24-hours. TIA, transient ischemic attack, is
sometimes called a 'mini-stroke'. A significant percentage of
patients with TIAs go on to have a full-blown CVA within a
year.These patients are frequently placed on anticoagulants in
an effort to minimize the risk of more events.
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Radiographic
Measures of Chronic Periodontitis and Carotid Artery Plaque
Chronic periodontitis (CP) is associated
with stroke and subclinical atherosclerosis, but clinical
measurement of CP can be time consuming and invasive. The
purpose of this study was to determine whether radiographically
assessed CP is associated with nonstenotic carotid artery plaque
as an ultrasound measure of subclinical atherosclerosis.
Panoramic oral radiographs were obtained from 203 stroke- free
subjects ages 54 to 94 during the baseline examination
Severe periodontal bone loss is associated independently with
carotid atherosclerosis. Panoramic oral radiographs may thus
provide an efficient means to assess CP in studies of
atherosclerosis risk.
Steven P. Engebretson, et al.,Radiographic Measures of
ChronicPeriodontitis and Carotid Artery Plaque Stroke.
2005;36:561
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Dentures and eating
after 3 strokes within a year.
You may never forget how, but you may lose the agility
required to "bite" with your dentures. In this case there is
tremendous value of using a food processor. A reasonable diet
can be crafted with soups, stews, composed ground meat entrees,
fruit salsa, along with eggs, yogurt, protein supplemented hot
cereal etc. Unfortunately many will depend on pudding
cups, ice cream, & jello and generally spiral into very poor
health. With time, he may eventually regain the muscletone
needed.
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The association of gingivitis and periodontitis
with ischemic stroke
The aim of this study was to assess the associations
of different periodontal conditions with cerebral ischemia.
Patients were examined on average 3 days after ischemia. The individual
mean clinical attachment loss measured at four sites per tooth was used
as indicator variable for periodontitis. Patients had higher clinical
attachment loss than the general population . After adjustment a
mean clinical attachment loss >6 mm had a 7.4 times greater, a
gingival index >1.2 = a 18.3 times greater and a radiographic bone
loss a 3.6 times higher risk of cerebral ischemia(stroke) than
subjects without periodontitis or gingivitis. Periodontitis
is an independent risk factor for stroke and acute exacerbation
of inflammatory processes in the periodontium might be a trigger for
the event of stroke.
[Dörfer CE et al.,. The association of gingivitis and
periodontitis with is= chemic stroke J Clin Periodontol 2004;31(5):396 -
401.]
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Tooth Loss, Stroke Linked
Tooth loss and periodontal disease may
increase the risk of stroke. In a study men who had fewer
than 25 teeth when they entered the study had a 57% higher
risk of stroke than those with 25 or more teeth. The
link between stroke and gum disease shows that oral health is
closely related to overall health states the American Heart
Association. AGD Impact pg 18,
2/04
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Tooth loss, Gum Disease May Up Men's
Stroke Risk
Tooth loss and gum disease may increase
a person's risk for having a stroke, new study findings
suggest. Lead author Dr. Kaumudi J. Joshipura of Harvard
School of Dental Medicine. Periodontal disease, which
includes gingivitis and periodontitis,
involves a chronic bacterial infection that can lead
to tooth loss. Scientists have speculated that over
time, these oral bacteria may slip into the bloodstream and
trigger inflammation in the blood vessels that feed the
heart and brain. Studies on the topic have suggested a
history of gum disease increases the risk of heart attack or
stroke. In the current study, Joshipura and her team
followed the heart and dental health of 41,380 men between
the ages of 40 and 75 who had no sign of heart disease or
diabetes at the start of the study. After 12 years, a total
of 349 men had an ischemic stroke. This is the most common
type of stroke, and occurs when a clot or blocked artery
cuts off blood flow to the brain. Men who had 24 teeth or
less at the start of the study had a 57 percent increase in
their risk for having an ischemic stroke compared to men who
had 25 teeth or more. Tooth loss in most cases was
due to gum disease or cavities.
Stroke 2003;34., By Keith Mulvihill New York
(Reuters Health)
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Dental
X-Rays May Reveal Stroke Risk in Women
A trip to the dentist for a woman 55 or
older may yield evidence about stroke risk.
Panoramic dental x-rays can reveal
calcifications in the carotid arteries, which increase a
person's risk of stroke.
In the study by Drs. Friedlander and Altman, panoramic
dental x-rays of 52 postmenopausal women aged 55 to 90 with
no prior history of heart attack or stroke were studied.
Sixteen (31%) of the women showed evidence of calcification
in their carotid arteries.
Women older than 55 who receive panoramic dental x-rays
should ask doctors to examine the x-rays for calcification
in the carotid arteries that would be consistent with
blockage of blood flow to the brain.
I was found that 94% of the women in this study were
diagnosed with high blood pressure, 50% were characterized
as overweight or obese, 38% were heavy smokers, and nearly
70% of the women had high levels of blood fats including
cholesterol.
More than 60% of the deaths in the United States attributed
to stroke occur in postmenopausal women.
As a woman's estrogen levels decrease after menopause, her
blood levels of cholesterol increase, which makes her more
vulnerable for build-up of arterial plaque.
These plaque deposits, which collect in the inner lining of
the artery, contain fatty substances such as cholesterol,
cellular waste products, calcium and other substances.
Plaques may grow large enough to reduce blood flow through
an artery. They can also become fragile and rupture. Plaques
that rupture form blood clots that can block blood flow or
break off and travel to another part of the body. If a clot
blocks a blood vessel that feeds the brain, a stroke can
result.
SOURCE: Journal of the American Dental Association
2001;132:1130-1136.
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Gum
disease raises stroke risk
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Gum
disease, apart from being unsightly and uncomfortable, might
significantly increase a person's risk of stroke, according to results
of a national study.
Dr. Tiejian Wu from the State University of New York
at Buffalo and colleagues examined the link between gum disease, or periodontitis,
and risk of having a stroke in nearly 10,000 adults who participated in
a large health survey between the early 1970s and 1992.
"We found that
periodontitis was associated with an increased risk of stroke in a
21-year follow-up of US adults," Wu told Reuters Health in
an interview.
Gum disease begins insidiously with gingivitis,
characterized by swollen gums that easily bleed. Without treatment, the
condition progresses to periodontitis, the inflammation of the tissues
supporting the teeth. Eventually, bone and tissue loss can result.
What sets the process in motion is the presence of
bacteria. It is these bacteria, according to Wu, that get into the
bloodstream and can stimulate clotting. And other effects associated
with the bacteria can damage the lining of blood vessels. All these
events can increase the risk of stroke.
Stroke is characterized by either bleeding
in the brain because of a ruptured vessel or impaired blood flow to
a part of the brain when a vessel is blocked by a clot.
The investigators were not able to define exactly
which bacteria are to blame for the destructive effects of the
condition, because this information could not be determined based on the
data collected as part of the original survey. But they expect that
future research will serve "to confirm the possible role of
specific harmful microorganisms."
So while Wu cautioned that "the cause-effect
relation is not conclusive at this point," he said that these
findings indicate "people may need to pay more attention to their
oral health, as it may influence their systemic health."
Health Center Dental News, October, 2000
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Brush
Away Strokes
September 14, 2007
