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Article: Mouth bacteria may have link to heart attacks; University of Minnesota researchers say the findings may explain why so many heart attacks occur in the morning.(NEWS)
- Article from:
- Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN)
- Article date:
- February 16, 1998
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1998 Star Tribune Co. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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University of Minnesota scientists say they have discovered an apparent connection between one of the most common bacterium found in the mouth and heart attacks.
The finding may explain one of the most puzzling mysteries about heart attacks - why so many occur in the morning.
Dr. Mark Herzberg, a professor of preventive sciences in the university School of Dentistry, said it appears possible that brushing your teeth can release potentially harmful but normally short-lived streptococcus bacteria into the bloodstream.
Those bacteria, which live in dental plaque, may cause disc-shaped platelets in the blood to clump together into plugs that can ...