Gum disease may be linked to higher rates of stroke caused by hardened and severely blocked arteries, preliminary research findings indicate.
During the 2012-2013 phase of the ongoing study, more than 5,700 participants were asked how many sexual partners they'd had during their lives. Researchers compared their answers to self-reported diagnoses of cancer.
The FDA asked the maker of weight-loss drug Belviq (lorcaserin) to take it off the market after a clinical trial showed an association with an increased risk of cancer.
Stroke survivors who had positive outlooks showed lower levels of inflammation, reduced stroke severity and fewer physical impairments after three months compared to more pessimistic stroke survivors, the researchers found.
They found rates were generally higher in blacks and Hispanics than in whites. Surprisingly, the rate in Asian/Pacific Islanders rose faster than in all other racial ethnic groups.
The statistics raise the question of whether traditional norms about masculinity could play some role, said lead researcher Daniel Coleman.
Previous research has found that 50% of violent crime is associated with access to alcohol, the authors noted.
