Overview

• Researchers from Finland and the UK reported bacterial DNA from common oral microbes inside many atherosclerotic plaques, publishing their findings in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
• The team analyzed 217 plaques from 121 sudden cardiac death autopsies and 96 endarterectomy patients, identifying viridans group Streptococci as frequently present in coronary samples.
• A custom antibody highlighted gelatinous, biofilm-like structures in arterial tissue, with bacterial dispersal observed in some ruptured plaques consistent with myocardial infarction.
• The authors propose that dormant biofilms can reactivate and provoke local inflammation that destabilizes plaques, a hypothesis they say could inform future diagnostics, therapies, or vaccines.
• Independent cardiologists emphasize the results are preliminary, urge replication and proof of viable bacteria through longitudinal studies, and advise good oral hygiene and prompt treatment of infections.