At the Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam, the largest dental school in the Netherlands, investigators reviewed the medical records of 60,174 patients age 35 and older, looking for an association between periodontal gum disease and atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases such as angina, heart attack and stroke.

About 4 percent of patients with periodontitis had atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, compared to 2 percent without periodontitis, the researchers found.

Even after taking other risk factors for cardiovascular disease into account, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and smoking, those with periodontal disease were still 59 percent more likely to have a history of heart problems, according to a report in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

In periodontal disease, the advanced stage of the gum disease gingivitis, the gums pull away from the teeth and create pockets that can become infected. Periodontitis has also been tied to other conditions such as skin disease and dementia.

“It’s clear that periodontitis is associated with chronic inflammation, so it makes sense biologically that if you have a heavy infection in your mouth, you also have a level of inflammation that will contribute to heart conditions,” said Panos Papapanou of Columbia University in New York, who has studied the association between gum disease and heart disease but wasn’t involved in the current study.

The research team suggests that gum disease develops first and may promote heart disease through chronic infection and bacteria in the circulatory system.

Still, this kind of observational study can’t prove that gum disease causes heart problems.

“The association … does not provide proof (of causation), even when the results from our study corroborate findings from previous similar research,” study coauthor Geert van der Heijden said by email.

In the U.S., heart disease is the leading cause of death, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Each year, more than 600,000 people die from heart disease, which accounts for one in four deaths.

Papapanou advises: “Take care of your oral health for oral health itself. If you know there’s a positive association between oral health and other diseases, would you ignore it? I wouldn’t.”

Obstructive sleep apnea is a sleep disorder in which breathing is briefly and repeatedly interrupted during sleep. The "apnea" in sleep apnea refers to a breathing pause that lasts at least ten seconds. Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when the muscles in the back of the throat fail to keep the airway open, despite efforts to breathe. Another form of sleep apnea is central sleep apnea, in which the brain fails to properly control breathing during sleep. Obstructive sleep apnea is far more common than central sleep apnea.

Obstructive sleep apnea, or simply sleep apnea, can cause fragmented sleep and low blood oxygen levels. For people with sleep apnea, the combination of disturbed sleep and oxygen starvation may lead to hypertension, heart disease and mood and memory problems. Sleep apnea also increases the risk of drowsy driving.

An article in the June 2013 issue of the journal “Diabetes Care” found that toenail mercury levels were associated with an increase incidence of diabetes. Compared with the lowest levels of toenail mercury levels in the adults studied, those with the highest toenail mercury levels had a 65% greater risk for developing diabetes.

The researchers examined 3900 young American adults ages 20 to 32 for a period of 18 years from 1987 to 2005. They were evaluating whether mercury exposure would lead to diabetes. The researchers provided the following measurement on all participants: baseline glucose levels; as well as baseline mercury levels.

The authors summarized their findings: “People with high mercury levels in young adulthood may have elevated risk of diabetes”.

Mercury is the most toxic, non-radioactive, element we are exposed to. Mercury is found in the rock called cinnabar. Cinnabar is composed of mercury and Sulphur. In nature mercury seeks out Sulphur. In your body mercury also seeks out Sulphur. When mercury attaches to the enzymes in our bodies, the enzymes are no longer active and do not carry out their important chemical reaction necessary for our bodies.

Sulphur is a component in thousands of enzymes in our bodies and is a know neurotoxin. Mercury can also damage the pancreatic islet beta cells. These are the cells where insulin is produced. These cells are the master cells for establishing and monitoring the sugar levels in our bodies. If these cells do not function properly we can develop sugar problems or diabetes.

The two most common causes of mercury exposure are dental amalgams or “silver fillings” and consuming fish or seafood. Tuna and swordfish usually have very high levels of mercury.

Snoring and obstructive sleep apnea can be serious medical problems- not just snoring! Obstructive sleep apnea can increase the risk for heart attack, stroke, diabetes, atrial fibrillation, and other serious illnesses.

A dentist cannot legally make the diagnosis of primary snoring, upper airway resistance syndrome or obstructive sleep apnea. This means that the dentist must be able to work closely with your sleep physician to determine the appropriate treatment regimen.

Snoring can make for a bad night’s sleep, for you and your bed mate. But if it happens because you have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), it’s a sign of a bigger problem.

The condition raises your risk for other health issues like high blood pressure and diabetes. It can even make you more dangerous on the road. But when you treat sleep apnea, you can ease or even cure some of these issues.

Here are seven health problems you might face if you have OSA:

1. High blood pressure. If you already have it, sleep apnea can make it worse. When you wake up often during the night, your body gets stressed. That makes your hormone systems go into overdrive, which boosts your blood pressure levels. Also, the level of oxygen in your blood drops when you can’t breathe well, which may add to the problem.

Treatment can make a difference, though. Some people with high BP who get help for sleep apnea will see their blood pressure improve. Their doctors may be able to cut back on their BP medications. (But you shouldn’t stop or change your dose without talking to your doctor first.)

2. Heart disease. People with OSA are more likely to have heart attacks.

The causes may be low oxygen or the stress of waking up often. Strokes and atrial fibrillation -- a fast, fluttering heartbeat -- are also linked with the condition.

Sleep apnea disrupts how your body takes in oxygen, which makes it hard for your brain to control how blood flows in your arteries and the brain itself.

3. Type 2 diabetes. Sleep apnea is common among people with this condition -- 80% or more of them may have OSA.

Obesity raises a person’s risk for both disorders. Although studies haven’t shown a cause-and-effect link between sleep apnea and type 2 diabetes, not getting enough shut-eye can keep your body from using insulin properly, which leads to diabetes.

4. Weight gain. Extra pounds raise your chances of getting sleep apnea, and the condition also makes it harder to slim down When you’re overweight, you can have fatty deposits in your neck that block breathing at night. On the flip side, sleep apnea can make your body release more of the hormone ghrelin, which makes you crave carbs and sweets. And when you're tired all the time, you might not be able to turn the food you eat into energy as efficiently, which can lead to weight gain.

The good news? Treatment for OSA can make you feel better, with more energy for exercise and other activities. This can help you lose weight, which can help your sleep apnea.

5. Adult asthma. Science hasn’t proven a link to OSA, but people who get sleep apnea treatment may find they have fewer asthma attacks.

6. Acid reflux. There’s no proof that sleep apnea causes this kind of heartburn, but many people say it’s a problem. Treating it seems to improve apnea symptoms for some people, sleep doctors say.

7. Car accidents . When you feel groggy, you raise your risk of falling asleep at the wheel. People with sleep apnea are up to five times more likely than normal sleepers to have traffic accidents.

Treatment for Sleep Apnea

All the health problems linked to the condition can sound scary, but there are lots of ways to treat it. A CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) worn at night is the gold standard for treating these conditions.