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Estrogen Receptor Polymorphisms and the Risk of Myocardial Infarction

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

To the Editor: Dr Schuit and colleagues¹ demonstrated a significant association between estrogen receptor gene (ESR1) polymorphisms and increased risk of myocardial infarction (MI) in postmenopausal women but not in men. Since Mattila et al² first found an association between poor oral health and risk of MI in men, several studies have found such an association in women as well.³ We have reported a significant association between ESR1 polymorphisms and tooth loss in postmenopausal women.⁴

These facts suggest 3 possible hypotheses explaining the link described by Schuit et al: (1) the oral infection-inflammation pathway mediated by periodontitis, one of the major causes of tooth loss, contributes to increased risk of MI,⁵ so that the association between ESR1 polymorphisms and MI in postmenopausal women is spurious and actually due to an association between ESR1 polymorphisms and tooth loss at baseline; (2) endothelial dysfunction that may lead to MI contributes . . . [Full Text of this Article]

Akira Taguchi, DDS, PhD
akiro@hiroshima-u.ac.jp
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology
Hiroshima University Hospital
Hiroshima, Japan

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