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Heart Health
Some heart patients need antibiotics before dental work
- By Julie Corliss, Executive Editor, Harvard Heart Letter
Research we're watching
Guidelines suggest that people with certain heart conditions take antibiotics before invasive dental procedures. A new study confirms the benefit of this practice for reducing the risk of endocarditis, a serious heart infection often caused by bacteria from the mouth.
Published Sept. 13, 2022, in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, the study relied on health and dental records from nearly eight million people, including more than 36,000 at high risk for endocarditis. This includes people with a replaced or repaired heart valve, certain congenital heart defects, or a history of endocarditis.
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About the Author
Julie Corliss, Executive Editor, Harvard Heart Letter
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