[Periodontitis and cardiovascular diseases--review of publications]

Nowadays periodontal diseases are treated as a one of a social diseases. The main consequences of them are: premature teeth loss and possibility of inducing, aggravating and modifying many systemic disorders, such as endo- and myocarditis, glomerulonephritis, iriditis, retinitis, rheumatic polyarthritis. The scientific data performed in the last 10 years indicate links between periodontitis and atheromatosis, coronary heart disease and acute coronary events, including myocardial infarction. In this study reported was the epidemiological dependences between periodontal and cardiovascular diseases. There were described hypotheses of negative influence of periodontal foci on induction and progression of inflammation in coronary vessel walls and destabilisation of atheromatous plaques, also was included theory of direct bacterial invasion and cytokine theory. There were shown results of studies which proved the presence of genetic material of main periodontal bacterial pathogens, such as Porphyromonas gingivalis and Prevotella intermedia, in atheromatous plaques in coronary arteries. There were noted other potential mechanisms of induction of acute coronary events connected with platelet aggregation induced by specific proteins secreted by Streptococcus sanguis and the role of Helicobacter pylori infection, the bacteria from periodontal pockets that is presently more often isolated. Analysing these data it was concluded, that the co-operation between cardiologists and dentists, especially the periodontologists, is necessary during the treatment of coronary heart disease. Periodontal therapy should be included as an additional element of cardiological therapy. Education of patients is also very important for prophylaxis of cardiovascular diseases.