• symptoms of gum disease
• potential results of the disease
• natural treatment of gum disease

Orally speaking, your gums are one of the most important things to keep healthy. They are responsible for holding your teeth in place. There are certain signs you should be on the watch for in regards to your gum health. If you notice any bleeding during brushing or flossing, this is a symptom of a gum disease problem. Along with chronic bad breath and increased gum and teeth sensitivity, bleeding is one of the first things to go wrong when gum disease causing bacteria gets a hold of the soft tissue of your mouth.

Many people underestimate the potential damage this disease can do. If left untreated, you may experience loose teeth, an unpleasant change in your bite, and even possible tooth loss. Gum disease is the leading cause of adult tooth loss. It’s easy to see why swift, early intervention is very important. In its early stages, gum disease can be reversed and your dental health restored.

The natural treatments for gum disease are easy to use. Eating well and staying hydrated are huge parts of the process. Using botanical dental products is useful as well. Look for cleaning products that contain essential mint oils and citrus oils. These products are safer than conventional dental products even without the presence of gum disease.

Excerpt from: http://www.oramd.com/gumdisease/84-holisticgumdiseasecure.htm/

It took a lot of lectures from my dentist, but I long ago became a dedicated flosser. Now a new study is making me glad I did. And it’s not just because flossing my teeth daily may help me avoid dentures. The new research indicates that people who have gum disease may be at increased risk for cancer.

Cancer? How could gum disease increase the risk for cancer? Well, previous research has found a possible link between gum disease and other illnesses, such as heart disease and diabetes. The thinking is that inflammation in the gums may lead to inflammation in other parts of the body, which can damage arteries supplying blood to the heart and other parts of the body. Some studies had also suggested a link to cancer, which may also be caused in part by inflammation.

To explore that, Dominique Michaud of the Imperial College London and colleagues analyzed data collected by the Health Professionals Follow-up study, a Harvard project that, in 1986, began tracking thousands of male doctors and other health professionals ages 40 to 75. Michaud and his colleagues looked at data collected from 48,375 men who were followed for up to nearly 18 years.

After taking into consideration factors that might confuse the findings, such as smoking and diet, the researchers report in the June issue of the journal Lancet Oncology that that those who had gum disease had a 14 percent higher risk of cancer compared to those with no history of gum disease.

The risk varied from cancer to cancer. Gum disease appeared to increase the risk for lung cancer by 36 percent, for kidney cancer by 49 percent, for pancreatic cancer by 54 percent and for white blood cancers such as leukemia by 30 percent.

The researchers say the findings need to be confirmed by additional studies. And scientists need to figure out how exactly gum disease may be linked to cancer.

But in the meantime I’m going to make sure I keep up my flossing.

Your Gums or Your Life

Written by Richard Stinson

(redacted highlights only) Modern Maturity Magazine: Jul.-Aug. 2000

I admit it. As my periodontist prepared to probe my gums with a shiny Orwellian torture device, I was scared. Then he began talking about gum disease and – I realized things could be worse.

Studies increasingly show a connection between good gums and good overall health. Gum disease (also known as periodontal disease), has been linked to a variety of systemic health problems, including heart disease and stroke.

Here’s why periodontal disease may affect your overall health. Periodontitis is infection of the gum, bone and other tissues surrounding the tooth, caused by a build up of tartar below the gum line. More than 350 types of bacteria can flourish in the tartar (hardened plaque) on your teeth and enter your blood stream directly through damaged and bleeding gums. This invasion can create havoc throughout your body, including your heart.

“An accumulating body of evidence suggests that periodontal infection may contribute to arteriosclerotic heart disease,” says oral bacteria researcher Robert J. Genco, D.D.S., Ph.D., of the State University of New York at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine. In a recent University of Michigan study involving 400 men 60 or older, researchers found that those suffering from advanced periodontal disease were four and a half times more likely to have coronary heart disease than those without gum disease.

Why is periodontal disease so hard on your heart? Researchers at SUNY at Buffalo have shown that people with gum disease tend to have high blood levels of fibrinogen, a molecule which can cause clotting and C-reactive protein, an inflammatory molecule. The study reported in the February 2000 American Journal of Epidemiology also found that people with periodontal disease might have higher levels of cholesterol.

Periodontal disease increases your risk of stroke. The same molecules that affect your heart can also block the blood flow to your brain, increasing your risk of stroke. A 1999 preliminary study at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons found that people with diseased gums tended to have more plaque in their carotid (neck) arteries. Those with the most diseased gums had 1.12 millimeters of build-up in their artery lining, compared with 0.74 millimeters for those with the healthiest gums. That’s not good, since the National Stroke Association estimates that clots or blockages cause 80% of all strokes – one reason why neurologists should keep an eye on their patients teeth.

Diabetes, Osteoporosis, Respiratory problems and regular dental visits.Diabetics should also schedule regular dental visits. Researchers at the Texas A&M University Health Science Center have found that uncontrolled diabetes can lead to a higher risk of gum disease, which, in turn, can make diabetes more problematic by reducing the body’s ability to regulate blood sugar levels. The increased bacteria load in the body caused by periodontal disease has also been linked to osteoporosis and respiratory problems.

Why this is good news for your health and your doctor. There is an upside to all of this. Dentists and doctors are increasingly checking their patients mouths for early signs of hypertension, heart disease and diabetes. At the University of Alabama at Birmingham, researchers are studying whether dental x-rays of bones around the jaw can help predict the onset of osteoporosis elsewhere in the body leading to earlier diagnosis. In early 2001 dental organizations, physicians and biologists plan to convene at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda Maryland, to review the latest research linking gum infection and chronic diseases of the body.

For now, there is little mystery about how to care for your gums. With conscientious brushing, consistent flossing, and semi-annual dental visits, gum disease can usually be prevented or controlled. In addition, if you need to visit the periodontist, don’t be afraid. Today’s gum treatments are more pain-free than you think and far better than the alternative of heart disease and stroke.

Redacted From
Your Gums or Your Life: The key to a healthy heart is dental floss?
By Richard Stinson: Modern Maturity Magazine: July-August 2000

Institute Founder and Director Dr. Gene Sambataro answers your commonly asked questions about the dental terminology and treatments.

Q. What is plaque?

Plaque is a sticky material made up of food particles, saliva, germs and bacteria that attaches to the tooth at and below the gum line that is removed by brushing and flossing.

Q. Why is plaque so hard to remove?

Because of where it lives! Plaque usually builds up and becomes a problem in the areas we fail to clean properly. We tend to neglect hard-to-reach places; areas at and below the gum line, in between the teeth and in all the little nooks of the teeth. Plaque which is built up, attaching itself to older layers of plaque is the most difficult to remove.

Q. What is calculus (commonly called tartar)?

It is hardened plaque. Well, it is not that simple. All plaque does not form calculus. However, when combined with other ingredients and factors, mineralized or calcified plaque is described as calculus. Calculus is usually more difficult to remove than plaque and it can begin to form in as little as eight hours.

Q. What is a periodontist?

A periodontist is a specialist with advanced training in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases affecting the gums and supporting the structures of the teeth.

Q. What is periodontal disease?

Almost half of American adults have some form of periodontal disease but don’t know they have it. Periodontal disease (also known as gingivitis or gum disease depending on its severity) is a bacterial infection of the gums, bone and periodontal ligament, which supports the teeth and holds them in the jaw.

Periodontal disease begins with the bacterial build up in the mouth commonly known as plaque or calculus, which is present in everyone’s mouth. As bacteria make themselves at home on your gums and teeth, your gums become inflamed. Your body then attempts to destroy the bacteria using its natural defense mechanism to send infection fighting white blood cells to the site of inflammation. These white blood cells release enzymes and in some people, they are overproduced. This overproduction of enzymes causes the destruction of the tissues that surround and support the teeth, gums and bone, leading to advanced stages of periodontal disease.

Q. Am I at risk of developing periodontal disease?

A number of factors can increase your chances of developing periodontal disease. The good news is that you may be able to reduce your risk simply by changing your behavior. Smoking, poor oral hygiene, infrequent dental visits, poor nutrition, stress, diabetes and osteoporosis can all negatively impact your oral health and promote gum disease.

Q. Does periodontal disease “run” in families?

Unfortunately, periodontal disease is not “fair” and can invade the mouth of even the most devout user of toothbrush and floss. In some cases, this may be attributed to genetic makeup.

Studies show that genes passed along to you by your parents, may make you more susceptible to some forms of periodontitis. In addition, certain disease, such as diabetes or osteoporosis, can increase your risk for periodontal disease.

If you are predisposed to periodontal disease because it runs in your family or if you have diabetes, don’t give up your fight to save your teeth. While good oral hygiene, regular professional care and a healthy lifestyles may not prevent all periodontal disease, they can help you to keep it under control.

Q. I’ve read that periodontal disease can affect all my major organs, is that true?

Yes. Periodontal disease is a bacterial infection. Periodontal bacteria can enter the blood stream and travel to major organs beginning new infections. The Heart is one of the most susceptible organs along with the Brain, but all major organs in the body can be impaired or damaged by the constant bacterial load caused by periodontal disease.

Q. Does periodontal disease increase my risk for heart disease and stroke?

Researchers have found that people with periodontal disease are one and a half times more likely to suffer a fatal heart attack, twice as likely to suffer from coronary artery disease and nearly three times more likely to suffer a stroke as those without periodontal disease.

Several theories exist to explain the link between periodontal disease and heart disease. One theory is that oral bacteria affect the heart by entering the bloodstream. Once in the bloodstream they attach to the fatty plaques lining the coronary arteries (heart blood vessels) and contributing to clot formation.

Coronary artery disease is characterized by a thickening of the walls of the coronary arteries due to buildup of fatty proteins. Blood clots can obstruct normal blood flow, restricting the amount of nutrients and oxygen required for the heart to function properly, increasing the risk of heart disease.

Heart (or cardiovascular) disease affects more than 60 million Americans and is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. The good news is that many types of heart disease may be prevented. Taking care of your periodontal health can be one important component, along with controlling other well-known risk factors for heart disease.

Q. What precautions should heart patients take before dental treatments?

Periodontal disease can affect some existing heart conditions by increasing the risk for infective endocarditis which is characterized by inflammation of the lining of the heart. Those patients with existing heart conditions or a history of rheumatic fever, mitral valve prolapse or heart murmur may require antibiotics before receiving treatment for periodontal disease. Your periodontist and Cardiologist will be able to determine if your heart condition requires the use of antibiotics before dental appointments.

The American Heart Association has established guidelines to help protect those patients most at risk for infective endocarditis and prone to heart problems following a dental procedure. If you are at risk for infective endocarditis, your dentist and/or periodontist can take steps to limit the entry of bacteria into the blood streams during the dental procedures including:

• Treatment of any existing periodontal infection
• Prescribing antibiotics prior to the procedure
• Asking you to make more regular maintenance visits to reduce the build-up of bacteria in the mouth
• Proper home care techniques for your teeth

Good periodontal health is essential for you to maintain your heart health. If you know you have heart disease or if you are currently receiving treatment for a cardiovascular complication, see your periodontist for a periodontal evaluation.

Q. What other health conditions have been linked to periodontal disease?

Periodontal disease has also been linked to other significant health problems including:

• Stroke
• Respiratory disease
• Osteoporosis
• Premature and underweight births
• Diabetes

Advanced periodontal disease in diabetics has been linked to an increased difficulty in the maintenance of blood sugar levels a well as reducing the bodies ability to fight off infection and heal wounds.

It is very important that you always provide your periodontist with a complete and accurate medical history, including any heart problems you are aware of. Your periodontist and physician can work together to help your gums and your overall health. As former surgeon general C. Everett Koop said, “A person is not healthy without good oral health.”

Q. What are the symptoms of periodontal disease?

Periodontal disease is usually painless and silent, until it’s advanced stages. If left untreated, symptoms can include:

• Persistent bad breath
• Gums that bleed when you brush your teeth and floss
• Red, swollen and tender gums
• Gums that have pulled away from the teeth (receded)
• Loose, shifting or separating teeth
• Pus between the gum and tooth
• A change in the way your teeth fit together

Periodontal disease can be diagnosed and treated by your dentist and/or periodontist.

Q. How can I reduce the risk of developing periodontal disease?

You may be able to reduce your chances of periodontal disease just by changing your behavior.

• If you smoke, quit. Smoking increases your risk of periodontal disease between two-to-seven fold
• Brush your teeth thoroughly at least twice a day
• Floss/clean between your teeth daily
• Eat a balanced diet
• Visit your dentist regularly for professional care to reduce the build up of bacteria-harboring plaque and tartar

Q. What can my dentist and periodontist do to battle periodontal disease?

Once a dental professional has diagnosed you with adult periodontitis, or any form of progressive periodontal disease, you should seek out appropriate treatment as soon as possible to control or prevent further destruction of tooth-supporting tissues.

Periodontitis has two components: bacterial infection and tissue-destroying enzymes (which are produced by your immune systems attempts to fight the infection). Scientists have now determined that the best way to control periodontal disease is to use a two-step process to treat both components.

1. Reduce the amount of bacteria in the gum pockets, the spaces formed between the tooth and gum by periodontal disease
2. Block or suppress the action of the tissue-destroying enzymes released by the immune system into the gum tissues

The most common procedure used to eliminate bacteria is an intensive professional cleaning method called scaling and root planning (SRP), which removes soft (plaque) and hard (calculus) deposits from the tooth surface above and below the gum line. This procedure also includes shaving off a layer of the root surface, which encourages the gum tissue to re-attach to the tooth.

The use of prescription drugs and anti-microbial agents are also methods that your dentist may use to eliminate bacteria. Prescription drugs and anti-microbial agents can be administered in a pill-form, as a mouth rinse or implanted directly in your gum as an antibiotic-laden thread, gel or an anti-microbial chip. Most of these treatments are given in conjunction with or following SRP.

Once bacteria has been reduced in the mouth, another important treatment step is to prevent further loss of gum and bone tissue by halting the tissue-destroying enzymes produced by the bodies own immune system. A prescription medicine designed to halt the production of these enzymes called Periostat, has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and is now widely available.

Did you know that 85% of the worlds population is dealing with some form of gum disease. Of course, not everyone is dealing with an obvious form of gum disease. But that does not diminish the fact that, for most of us, our gums are simply not functioning properly. As a biological dentist, Dr. Sambataro began, years ago, to hear from his patients one similar complaint. They were tired. They weren’t just tired, they were exhausted, felt old, felt spent, oftentimes during the day and not just at night. He began to wonder if there was a link, whether obvious or barely noticeable, between the health of gum tissue and chronic fatigue.

His initial endeavors into dealing with the fatigue of his patients was met with his own person skepticism. After all, he was only a dentist. Wasn’t chronic fatigue a problem for an MD or some other medical professional? Still, he couldn’t shake the nagging suspicion that the health of his patients gums was directly related to their fatigue. After all, if 85% of the world has gum disease and if he could understand the impact of gum disease on sleep patterns then he might be able to help his patients. His journey began.

So, if we are talking about gum disease we are really talking about an infection. And an infection is really about sick or compromised tissue that the body needs to remove. And, if you have ever been sick then you know the side effects of an infection are fever, increased white blood cells and feeling tired. However, you should also know that a low level infection, the kind you might find in your gums, is still fought the same way by the body. Your body still increases the white blood cell count and fatigue is still a part of the equation because your body is working so hard to try to fight the infection. Now, if you were really sick, coughing, etc. you might go to the doctor. But what do you do if you don’t really feel like you have the flu? An infection? You just feel tired.

The truth is, even if you did go to your doctor he would most likely have no answers for you. The reason is that MD’s don’t focus on the mouth as a possible source of systemic, or body wide, dilemma. And even if you did figure out that something might not be quite right with your gums your family dentist might not make the connection either. No, to get help with your condition you need a person who understands your condition. And, just like there are specialists in all fields of medicine, Dr. Sambataro is a specialist in Biological Dentistry. He has made it his life’s work to learn about the link between a chronic, low level infection in the gums and chronic fatigue. It is a knowledge that has taken him 30 years to gain.

For many of us, a trip to the dentist is, at best, a rushed affair. Usually we brush a few seconds longer that morning or we may even try brushing right before we see our dentist. But it all adds up to the same, our teeth are simply not getting the cleaning they deserve and this can lead to more rampant grown of bacteria in, on and around the teeth and gums. It is this long term neglect of the teeth that can play a huge role in creating the conditions for an infection. Further, when the mouth is subjected to long term, poor oral care, it not only has a greater potential for infection but if an infection arises it has a harder time fighting it off.

As a biological dentist, Dr. Sambataro has taken an active role in learning all of the things that can, and do, impact his patients. His 30 years of experience treating patients kept bringing him back along the same pathway. His patients were just more tired than he thought they should be and it did not seem to be linked to age, general activity level or gender. No, the only thing he found linking all of these person’s together was their oral health. More specifically, their poor oral health, and once they began to get control of what was happening with their teeth and gums they began to get more energy to live their lives.

Now, this may seem all too simple, and in some ways it is. Dr. Sambataro understands that chronic fatigue is a multi-faceted problem that needs to be addressed in a number of ways. He also understands that if good oral health was as simple as brushing three times a day then everyone would do it. However, he understands that many people would do more for themselves if they only knew about the link. He understands that many of us would never consider our oral health as a direct link to our chronic fatigue. Yet, his 30 years of treating patients has helped him to understand this link so that he is one of the few people in a position to actually help.

If you are tired all of the time and if you have tried all the coffee, caffeine and pills you can handle, then maybe it is time to consider another approach. By setting up a consult with Dr. Sambataro you are putting yourself on the road to a more complete, energetic lifestyle. I know it sounds strange and it may seem like there isn’t a link and yet, Dr. Sambataro has helped thousands of people by using his knowledge and unique approach to treating your teeth and helping you to regains your spark. Remember, every problem has a direct solution, you just have to get to the person who can get you on that path.

How does Gum Disease affect the body?

Gum disease is basically a chronic infection in the teeth and it can affect the body like any other chronic infection can. White blood cells will be high because your body is producing more of them to fight the infection. You may feel run down and feverish. Chronic mouth infections also affect other organs in your body when the infection gets into your blood stream. It can cause cardiovascular problems and even diabetes. Oral disease can alter your blood chemistry and lead to medical disease, which can cause oral disease, it is a vicious cycle.

Treatment for Gum Disease

The treatment for gum disease is simple. Your first step should be to find a biological dentist. After that, brushing and flossing your teeth regularly and seeing your dentist at least twice a year and more if needed. Another thing that can be done is to insure the pH in the mouth does not become too acidic. If it does become acidic, then bacteria can flourish.

In my profession as a dentist I am aware that 85% of Americans suffer from gum disease and many of my patients present with chronic fatigue symptoms to one degree or another, if not chronic fatigue syndrome, which has led me to seek a connection.

This interest has also been kindled because the most common response I experience after improving a patients oral health is the patient having more energy.

Is there a war going on in your mouth?

Most people have little idea about the contagious and deadly war going on in their mouth, yet alone how this is linked to health problems and even chronic fatigue. I am talking about periodontal (gum) disease. Periodontal means around the tooth and gum disease is generally known as gingivitis, periodontitis or pyorrhea.

Gum disease can affect one tooth or many teeth and it starts when the bacteria in plaque, which is continuously forming a film on your teeth, causes the gums to become infected and inflamed. Although often caused by inadequate oral hygiene, you are wrong to think this won’t happen to you because you brush and floss daily. Billions of bacteria breed each day despite all your efforts. Therefore, it is imperative to your health to get your gums checked regularly.

As a dentist, I find it hard to digest that the medical profession will take any other sort of infection in the body seriously, except gum disease. This fact often leaves people sadly lacking in information. Many think it’s normal that their gums bleed and some will even accept teeth falling out without connecting this to gum disease.

Yet with time, plaque may spread and grow and the toxins stimulate a chronic inflammatory response causing the body to turn on itself, as the germs migrate into the bloodstream. It is known that this can increase the risk of heart problems by 300% and can also increase the risks of kidney disease, cancer, stroke, respiratory disease, low birth rate in infants and arthritis.

Types of Dentistry

Dentistry approaches vary, so before looking further into the connection between gum disease and chronic fatigue, I would like to spend a little time in comparison.

Traditional Dentist

• A traditional dentist will look at the gums to see the progress of the disease and will probe to determine the pocket depth. He will scale to remove the hardened calcified plaque, generally referred to as tartar or calculus, so that healing can start.
• If advanced he may tell you that you need surgery to cut some tissue away, but this is not getting to the root cause.

Biological Dentist

• A biological dentist is concerned with treating the root cause rather than just the symptoms and considers the microscope a valuable tool for assessing the progress of treatment. Gum disease is not the only cause of bleeding and this objective approach looks for spirochetes, amoeba and other bacteria.
• He may also take a fluid sample from around the gum tissue and sent it off for a DNA lab test to find out exactly what the bugs are. DNA samples can also indicate whether the patient is genetically susceptible to gum disease.
• He will encourage pH testing of saliva and urine to see if your urine is acid, which would make you more susceptible to disease, and if your saliva is acid, which would make your teeth more likely to rot.
• A biological dentist is concerned with a more comprehensive approach and sees gum disease as a central concern, which leads to medical disease.
• He may recommend an antiseptic or antibacterial rinse, more flossing and brushing, electric toothbrush and water irrigation to keep the build up down.
• He will take a look at your lifestyle and consider factors such as stress, alcohol, smoking and dietary factors.

How Gum Disease May Lead To Chronic Fatigue

When considering the physiological changes in the body that might lead to chronic fatigue, I found four major issues. Naturally, sleep deprivation and other things are relative, but I am going to talk specifically about gum disease here:

• When considering any chronic infection, gum disease or otherwise, there will be an increase in the white blood cell count. This means there will also be less red blood cells circulating through your body. As the red blood cells carry oxygen to every cell in the body, it is simple to conclude that an insufficiency is bound to create some fatigue.
• This also means the immune system will be affected, because when it is on guard full time, it is bound to create stress and fatigue in the body.
• It is well known that chronic infection affects the clotting mechanism of the blood, so that it becomes thicker (hyper-coagulation). This means the thicker the blood, the harder the heart will need to pump in order to push the blood through the same size blood vessels. It’s a natural conclusion that if the heart is working overtime beating faster and harder to circulate the blood that it’s going to create some fatigue in the body.
• Chronic infection will produce free radicals and instigate the body’s natural defense mechanism. The body will need to use many mechanisms to scavenge these free radicals, which will require some energy production.
• This type of infection affects the major organs in the body, particularly the heart and the pancreas, creating cardiovascular disease and diabetes. With diabetes comes poor circulation and where there is poor circulation, more infections are likely, which will have a more debilitating affect on the whole body. In this way it is easy to conclude how having aggressive bacteria in the mouth can easily go into the blood stream, affect every cell and cause fatigue.

When I worked as a traditional dentist I received very few reports of an improvement in energy and people feeling healthier. But now, as a biological or holistic dentist, I feel so motivated because I get many reports of improved health and energy.

If this sounds too simplistic to you, then you are probably wondering “WHY?”

If there is a connection between gum disease and chronic fatigue and it is so vast, why isn’t it being healed?

We live in an age of new technology and are considered medically advanced, so “WHY?”

Brief History of Dentistry

Interestingly, Chinese medicine works under a different premise than Western medicine and the mouth is considered a most central part of healing. However, one of the main reasons that our medical profession fails to recognize the importance of gum disease is that they don’t connect the mouth with the body. The dental profession developed as barber surgeons with the same person cutting your hair, as taking your teeth out. They weren’t medical people and so didn’t progress on even paths.

As dentistry evolved, training included all aspects of medicine including anatomy, physiology and microbiology and progressively became more technical with importance placed on working on teeth, making better crowns and teaching patients how to brush and floss better.

Despite this, traditional dentistry is somewhat lacking in that it sees and treats only the mouth rather than treating the whole person. Instead of allowing the body to heal itself, if gum disease appeared untreatable, then it would be cut out.

After Gum Disease!

I’m not saying that you should have the expectation that if you take care of gum disease, you will automatically heal your chronic fatigue, as it’s likely to be multiple things that that lead to healing rather than any single approach. However, holistic dentistry takes a multi-factorial approach to treat gum disease at the same time as it treats the whole body. This can also include nutrition, acupuncture and even mind-body healing.

Some people may experience a good outcome with better oral health because they are already doing lots of other things. Perhaps they eat well, exercise, or meditate, which could make a difference.

I can only offer my personal experience and encourage people to seek information about gum disease, especially if they are suffering from chronic fatigue. I believe this is the missing link to healing this condition as it removes a load from the body and gives the body an opportunity to repair and restore itself.

The missing factor in the medical and dental field is the link between the two and dentistry is the missing link that may explain why so many people die of a heart attack, at a very young age, for no particular reason. You owe it to yourself to learn more, so that you can avoid future problems!