According to new research out of Finland’s Tampere University, your mouth might be harboring microbial assassins that target your heart.

In a study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, researchers analyzed arterial plaque from more than 200 people with coronary artery disease. What they found lurking inside was DNA from common oral bacteria, specifically viridans group streptococci, occupying space within the arteries.

These bacteria are usually the types your dentist yells at you about during your biannual mouth torture session. But now it turns out they may be playing a supporting role in the kind of heart attack that kills you instantly.

In a press release published on Tampere University’s website, study lead Dr. Pekka Karhunen states that it has long been susp

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