Bacteria in Arteries โLinked to Plaque Rupture and Heart Attacks, New Research โSuggests
Tampere, Finland – A newโฃ study from the University of Tampere indicates a potential link between bacterial infection โฃwithin arterial โplaque and the risk of heart attack. Researchers โhave discovered DNA from several oral bacteria โpresent in atherosclerotic plaque,suggesting โคthes microorganisms may contribute to plaque instability โขand rupture,ultimately leading to cardiac events.
For years, โคa connection between bacteria and โขcoronary artery disease has been suspected, but definitive evidence has been lacking. โขThis researchโ offers a compelling step forward, identifying the physical presence โof bacterial DNAโ within the dangerous buildup in arteries. The findings, โpublished recently, could pave the way for novel preventative and treatment strategies for heart disease, a leading cause of death globally.
Pekka Karhunen,โข lead author of the study, explains that the bacteria typicallyโ reside dormantโ within biofilms inside โฃthe plaque. However,secondary infections – such as viralโ illnesses – may “wake up” the bacteria,triggering an immune response and subsequent inflammation that weakens the plaque structure.โข “These bacteria may require aโข ‘double whammy’ โto cause heart disease,” Karhunen stated.โ
When plaque ruptures, it โคcan form blood clots that obstruct blood flow, resulting in a heart attack.โ Researchers caution โคthat theโ study does not yet establish a definitive causal relationship, but suggest potential future โtreatmentsโ could includeโ short-term antibiotic therapy for heart attack patients with evidence of bacterial involvement, potentially improving patient outcomes. The term “prognosis,” as defined in the study, refers to estimating a patient’s likely future health status based on their current condition and treatment.
For more details, visitโฃ the Free Health Network: https://health.ltn.com.tw/ and the study’s associated Facebookโ page: https://www.facebook.com/healthLTN/.
