People who brush their teeth three times a day are less likely to develop AF or heart failure than those with less consistent oral hygiene habits, a Korean study suggests.

Researchers examined data on more than 161,000 people with no history of AF, heart failure or other cardiovascular diseases.

After a median follow-up of close to 10.5 years, 3% of participants developed AF and 4.9% developed heart failure.

Those who brushed their teeth three times a day were 10% less likely to develop AF and 12% less likely to develop heart failure than those who brushed less frequently, the study showed.