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Coronary artery disease and periodontal disease: is there a link?
Suzan Abou-Raya1, Amr Naeem, Kheir Hassan Abou-El
1Department of Internal Medicine and Cardiology Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Alexandria, Egypt.
Insights
Periodontal disease, a common gum infection, is significantly linked to coronary artery disease. Maintaining good dental health may be crucial for overall cardiovascular health.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Periodontology
- Public Health
Background:
- Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading global cause of mortality.
- Traditional coronary heart disease risk factors do not fully explain all clinical and epidemiological patterns.
- Emerging research indicates infections, including periodontal disease, play a role in coronary artery disease (CAD) pathogenesis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between periodontal disease and coronary artery disease.
- To determine if periodontal disease is an independent risk factor for CAD.
Main Methods:
- Fifty patients undergoing diagnostic coronary angiography were evaluated for periodontal disease.
- Comprehensive assessments included physical examination, laboratory tests, cardiac evaluation, and dental examination with pantomography.
- Pantomography and coronary angiograms were independently scored by a dentist and cardiologists.
Main Results:
- A significant association was found between periodontal disease and coronary atheromatosis.
- This link remained significant even after adjusting for established risk factors like age, smoking, lipids, BMI, hypertension, and diabetes.
Conclusions:
- Periodontal disease demonstrates a significant association with coronary artery disease, independent of known risk factors.
- Periodontal disease may contribute to CAD by promoting chronic low-grade infections.
- Oral health is highlighted as a critical component of overall medical health.
Background:
Cardiovascular disease is the number one killer worldwide. The so-called classic risk factors of coronary heart disease do not account for all of its clinical and epidemiological features. Recent evidence suggests that certain infections, among them dental infections and in particular periodontal disease, are involved in the pathogenesis of coronary artery disease.
Aim:
To evaluate the association between periodontal disease and coronary artery disease.
Patients And Methods:
Fifty patients referred for diagnostic coronary angiography were assessed for periodontal disease. All patients underwent a thorough physical examination, routine laboratory testing, cardiac evaluation and dental examination which included pantomography x-ray evaluation.
Results:
Pantomography x-rays and coronary angiograms of the participants were scored blindly by a dentist and cardiologists respectively. The association between periodontal disease and coronary atheromatosis remained significant after adjustment for age, smoking, blood lipids, body mass index, hypertension and the presence of diabetes.
Implications:
Periodontal disease was still significantly associated after all the known risk factors were accounted for. The implication here is that periodontal disease could be a potential risk factor for heart disease by predisposing the individual to chronic low-grade infections. If so, then dental health becomes an important parameter for medical health.