An older, but still very relevant, article on the connection between bacteria and cardiovascular disease. Enterobacter hormaechei is a gram-negative bacteria, and therefore contains lipopolysaccharides. Please recall that it is oxidized LDL cholesterol, and not LDL cholesterol per se, that is a predictor of heart disease risk. LDL subjected to inflammatory immune responses generating free radicals becomes oxidized. I believe the presence of oxidized LDL to be a marker of the underlying infection. Now whether this infection is entirely bacterial or not remains to be answered. Herpes Simplex Virus has also been found in arterial plaque. Regardless, an immune response would explain why foam cells are composed not only of cholesterol (a part of our innate immune response to pathogens), but also white blood cells (macrophages). This model neatly explains why heart disease risk is elevated by smoking, binge or chronic drinking, periodontal disease, obesity, type two diabetes, and old age. All of these factors either increase pathogen burden and/or depress immune function allowing arterial colonization. Of course, oral and gut dysbiosis does all the above, and should be viewed as a foundational culprit.
Posted on: Mon, 23 Sep 2013 17:06:32 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015