Regular Flossing Linked to Better Heart Health, Reduced Stroke, AFib Risk

Cardiovascular disease, including stroke, remains the leading cause of death in the United States, according to the latest data from the American Heart Association (AHA)Trusted Source.
Lifestyle interventions, including healthy dietary changes and regular exercise, are some of the most effective methods of prevention against cardiovascular disease (CVD).

A lesser-known tactic involves a secret weapon you might already have in your medicine cabinet: dental floss.
Flossing should be part of any regular oral care routine, but it could also have significant beneficial effects on heart and brain health.
New research shows that regular flossing was associated with a significantly lower risk of certain forms of stroke and atrial fibrillation (AFib).

“We have known that gum disease and dental caries are risk factors for stroke and heart attack. Flossing is already known to reduce the rate of heart attack,” Souvik Sen, MD, MPH, chair of the Department of Neurology, Prisma Health Richland Hospital and the University of South Carolina School of Medicine, and author of the research, told Healthline.
“Our research suggests that dental flossing can reduce the risk of stroke, and higher frequency of flossing leads to further reduction of stroke.”

Oral health, inflammation, and heart disease

The mechanism for why flossing may reduce stroke risk isn’t yet certain, but researchers are honing in on the role of inflammationTrusted Source as a risk factor for heart disease.
“Oral health behaviors are linked to inflammation and artery hardening. Flossing may reduce stroke risk by lowering oral infections and inflammation and encouraging other healthy habits,” said Sen.

Periodontitis is an inflammatory disease of the gums that can lead to chronic inflammation.
As with other forms of inflammation, evidence suggests that periodontitis may be linked to cardiovascular disease. The link also suggests that good oral health habits like brushing and flossing may be a potential lifestyle factor for reducing cardiovascular disease risk.

Tips to reduce cardiovascular disease risk

Doctors attributed nearly 1 million deaths to cardiovascular disease in 2022.
To put that in more concrete terms: on average, one person in the U.S. dies from CVD every 34 seconds.
Making meaningful, actionable changes to improve your overall health can help reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease.

For better heart health, Palaniappan suggested following the AHA’s Life’s Essential 8 checklistTrusted Source:
• Eat better
• Be more active
• Quit tobacco
• Get healthy sleep
• Manage weight
• Control cholesterol
• Manage blood sugar
• Manage blood pressure