A new study to be presented at the American Stroke Association’s International Stroke Conference finds that flossing can reduce the risk of strokes and atrial fibrillation. Veuer’s Matt Hoffman has the story.
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00:00You probably know that flossing is supposed to be good for your teeth,
00:03but it may also be good for your brain and your heart.
00:06That's the assertion of a new study to be presented at the American Stroke Association's
00:10International Stroke Conference in February.
00:12The study began in 1987 and has been following over 6,000 participants.
00:17It found that self-reported flossing was associated with a 22% lower risk of ischemic stroke,
00:22a 44% lower risk of cardioembolic stroke,
00:26and a 12% lower risk of the irregular heartbeat known as atrial fibrillation.
00:30Lead author Dr. Suvik Sen said,
00:42It's not clear why oral health and cardiovascular health are linked,
00:45but this link has long been documented,
00:48including in a 2018 study published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.
00:52However, that study argued that the link
00:54might be explained by both areas of health being affected by smoking.
00:58Regardless, regular flossing can only be helpful,
01:00and America has plenty of room for improvement in that regard.
01:03A 2019 study published in the Journal of Periodontology
01:06found that only about a third of Americans over 29 floss.