Periodontitis and atherosclerosis: an observational study
, , , , Periodontitis and atherosclerosis: an observational study. J Periodont Res 2012; doi: 10.1111/jre.12026. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S
Background
Poor
oral health has been related with cardiovascular diseases.
Specifically, periodontitis has been implicated in the pathogenesis of
atherosclerosis. Our aim was to evaluate the relationship between the
degree of carotid atherosclerosis and severity of periodontitis in a
patient cohort.
Methods
Fifty
adult patients receiving carotid duplex scans in a cerebral
hemodynamics lab were included in the study. Ultrasound protocol
included measurement of carotid intima–media thickness (IMT), which is a
marker of atherosclerosis, and characterization of any atherosclerotic
plaques in the cervical common and internal carotid arteries. Patients
were divided into two main groups: the test group had IMT ≥ 1 mm or the
presence of any carotid atherosclerotic plaque, and the control group
had IMT < 1 mm and absence of atherosclerotic plaques. Periodontal
evaluation was performed in all the teeth and characterized according to
the clinical attachment level, which between 1 mm and 2 mm was
classified as slight, 3 mm and 4 mm as moderate and ≥5 mm as severe.
Results
The
control group included 15 (30%), while the test group included 35 (70%)
subjects. The most common diagnosis was severe periodontitis (40%);
moderate and slight periodontitis were also frequent occurrences (32%
and 28%, respectively). In the control group, 53.3% had slight, 33.3%
had moderate and 13.3% had severe periodontitis. In the test group,
those percentages were respectively 22.2%, 44.4% and 33.3%. Patients
with atheroma plaque had the highest percentage of severe periodontitis
(70.6%). More severe periodontitis was related to atherosclerosis (P = 0.007).
Conclusion
This
study showed an association between periodontitis severity and carotid
atherosclerosis, suggesting that periodontal disease might be a risk
indicator for atherosclerotic disease.
Comments