Periodontal and atherosclerosis-induced diseases

This article reviews the available studies assessing the association between chronic inflammatory periodontal diseases with atherosclerosis-induced diseases, cardiovascular diseases, and their complications, using standard evidence based criteria.

This study is based on a literature search using Medline medical database covering the period from 2001 to April 2006 and applying specific inclusion criteria. The authors reviewed randomized controlled trials, systematic reviews, narrative reviews and meta-analyses, which investigated the relationship of periodontal and cardiovascular diseases with clinically derived documentation. The critical evaluation of the studies was performed based on the Impact Factor of the journals, on which they were published.

On the basis of clinical aspects, the periodontitis-cardiovascular association was evaluated in 2 randomized controlled trials, 5 systematic reviews, 5 narrative reviews and 2 meta-analyses. The evidence linking periodontitis with an increased risk for cardiovascular disease and atherosclerosis is limited.

Current evidence supporting the causal, periodontitis-cardiovascular disease, association is weak. There is a clear need for new, well designed observational and intervention studies to confirm that thus far observed associations explore the validity of the associations in diverse populations, to establish whether they are causal in nature and determine potential benefits of periodontal intervention in reducing the risk for these medical conditions.