(NewsNation) — New research suggests that heart attacks may not only be caused by high cholesterol, poor diet and stress, but they could also be triggered by common viral infections.
The findings published in the Journal of the American Heart Association reveal that bacteria can remain hidden inside arterial plaques and remain dormant for decades until they are triggered by a viral infection like the flu. Once the harmful bacteria is awakened, it can spark inflammation, rupture arterial plaques and cause blockages that lead to heart attacks
According to the National Institutes of Health, a heart attack, also known as myocardial infarction, happens when the flow of blood that brings oxygen to a part of your heart muscle suddenly becomes blocked. More than 800,000 people in the U.S. have a heart attack each year.
“Bacterial involvement in coronary artery disease has long been suspected, but direct and convincing evidence has been lacking,” Professor Pekka Karhunen, lead author of the study at Tampere University in Finland, said. “Our study demonstrated the presence of genetic material — DNA — from several oral bacteria inside atherosclerotic plaques.”
Researchers said their findings could advance the possibility of preventing coronary heart disease and even heart attack by vaccinating against common viral infections.