Are you Able to Identify Those at Risk of Heart Attack?

Do you know how to identify the one if he has a heart disease? Researches show that dentist are able to help identify those at the risk of heart attack, are you the one among them?

It is being suggested by the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, that dentists are able to help identify those at risk of a heart attack.

The study was carried out involving 200 men and women over the age of 45. Those who took part in the study did not have any known cardiovascular problems, or at risk of imminent heart attack.

During a standard visit to their dentists in Boras and Gothenburg they were checked out for known risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

Dentists are really proud of their profession and feel no need to encroach upon doctors’ territory; however, we wanted to find out if we as a profession could identify patients at risk of cardiovascular disease. These risk factors are not normally manifested in the mouth, which is why the dentists went beyond their normal check-up routine.

The risk of cardiovascular disease was worked out using software known as Heart Score. The dentists taking use of dental instruments felt that 12 of the men had a 10% risk of developing a fatal cardiovascular disease over the next 10 years and advised them to see their doctors. Six of the twelve were subsequently prescribed medication to lower their blood pressure.

Dentists regularly see a very large percentage of the Swedish population, and if there is sufficient interest they could also screen for cardiovascular risk factors which, untreated, and could lead to a heart attack or stroke.