Mouthwash users at higher risk of heart attacks

A new study has revealed that mouthwash users are at a greater risk of heart attack, as it can increase blood pressure by killing off "good" bacterias, which help blood vessels to relax.

Professor Amrita Ahluwalia of Queen Mary, University of London, said that killing the good bacterias is a disaster, as small rises in blood pressure have significant impact on morbidity and mortality from heart disease and stroke, the Daily Express reported.

She added that their research is not trying to tell people to stop using antiseptic mouthwashes if they have a gum or tooth infection, but they would ask why anyone else would want to.

The study, which tracked the blood pressure of 19 healthy people who started using Corsodyl twice a day, found that their blood pressure shot up by between 2 and 3.5 units.

According to the study, for each two-point rise in blood pressure, the risk of dying from heart disease rose by seven percent and the risk of dying from stroke by 10 percent.

Corsodyl makers GlaxoSmithKline said that their product was for short-term use to stop plaque and prevent gum disease.

Corsodyl contains 0.2 percent by volume of the antiseptic chlorhexidine, and kills microbes needed to help create nitrite, which is essential for blood vessels to dilate properly.

The study is published in the journal Free Radical Biology And Medicine.