Poor oral health is associated with coronary heart disease and elevated systemic inflammatory and haemostatic factors

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L Montebugnoli1, D Servidio, R A Miaton

  • 1Department of Oral Science, University of Bologna, Italy. montebu@alma.unibo.it

Journal of Clinical Periodontology
|April 3, 2004
PubMed

Insights

Poor oral health is linked to coronary heart disease (CHD) in an Italian population. Inflammatory and haemostatic factors may mediate this association, highlighting the importance of oral hygiene for cardiovascular health.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Health
  • Oral Medicine
  • Inflammation Research

Background:

  • Coronary heart disease (CHD) is a leading cause of mortality worldwide.
  • Emerging evidence suggests a link between oral health and systemic diseases.
  • The role of inflammatory and haemostatic factors in this association requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between poor oral health and CHD.
  • To explore the relationship between oral health status and systemic inflammatory and haemostatic markers.
  • To examine potential mediating roles of these factors in an Italian population.

Main Methods:

  • A case-control study involving 63 males with CHD and 50 age- and socioeconomic-matched controls.
  • Oral health assessed using four dental indices: total dental index (TDI), panoramic tomography score, clinical periodontal sum score (CPSS), and clinical and radiographic sum score (CRSS).
  • Blood samples analyzed for CHD risk factors, inflammatory markers (e.g., C-reactive protein, leucocytes), and haemostatic factors (e.g., von Willebrand factor, PAI-1), and antibodies against oxidized LDL (anti-Ox-LDL).

Main Results:

  • All dental indices showed statistically significant relationships with CHD (p<0.01) after adjusting for risk factors.
  • Significant associations were found between CPSS and CRSS with leucocyte count (p<0.01).
  • TDI was linked to von Willebrand factor (p<0.05), while CPSS was associated with von Willebrand factor, anti-Ox-LDL, and PAI-1 (p<0.05).

Conclusions:

  • Poor oral status is associated with coronary heart disease (CHD).
  • Inflammatory and haemostatic factors are implicated as potential mediators in the oral health-CHD link.
  • Findings underscore the importance of oral health in the context of cardiovascular disease prevention.
Abstract

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