A simple non-surgical gum disease treatment markedly reduces the thickness of the wall of the arteries, a risk factor for heart disease, according to a first of its kind study among Aboriginal Australians.
The study findings may be of particular importance to Aboriginal Australians, who in general have poorer oral health and higher rates of cardiovascular disease.
Published in the latest issue of Hypertension, the study reports a significant decline in thickening of the wall of the carotid artery a year after a single session of gum treatment.
“The study shows that non-surgical periodontal therapy significantly reduced the progression of thickening of the carotid artery over a one-year period,” says study co-author, University of Sydney vascular disease expert Dr Michael Skilton.
