Like spokes on a wheel that never stops, the cycle of infection, immune response, inflammation and recovery will never cease as long as we live. This program examines the deadly synergistic exacerbation between cardiovascular disease (CVD), which is the leading cause of death and disability for men and women in North America, and the contributing role oral disease plays in patients with CVD. The conditions of metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, and their devastating cardiovascular effects that lead to the tragic outcomes of heart attack and stroke will be discussed.