Interrelationship between Periodontitis and Cardiovascular Diseases

Abstract

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) contributes to a large number of morbidities and mortalities globally. The main cause is due to development of atherosclerosis. Many risk factors have been identified and are treated to improve the disease outcome. Besides traditional risk factors (such as hyperlipidemia, diabetes mellitus and smoking), systemic inflammatory process was found to increase risk of cardiovascular events, as inflammation promotes atherosclerosis. Periodontal disease is a chronic disease of tooth-supporting structure, reported to have a high prevalence worldwide. The earliest step of the disease is bacterial biofilm formation on tooth surface which subsequently triggers host inflammation, both locally and systemically. With chronic inflammatory response, periodontitis can enhance atherosclerosis, and is considered a potential contributive factor for development of CVD. The purpose of this review is to provide information on periodontitis, CVD, an association between these two conditions and current knowledge on the effect of periodontal treatment on improving cardiovascular outcome. How to cite this article Yooprasert P, Siribamrungwong M. Interrelationship between Periodontitis and Cardiovascular Diseases. J Experiment Dent Sci 2013;2(2):110-117.