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Periodontal Disease, Atrial Fibrillation and Stroke
Souvik Sen1, Kolby Redd1, Tushar Trivedi1
1Department of Neurology, University of South Carolina, School of Medicine, Columbia, SC.
American Heart Journal
|January 27, 2021
Summary
Periodontal disease (PD) is linked to a higher risk of atrial fibrillation (AF), potentially explaining the association between PD and stroke. Regular dental care use is associated with a lower risk of developing AF.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Health
- Oral Health
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Periodontal disease (PD) has been previously associated with increased stroke risk.
- Understanding the link between oral health and cardiovascular events is crucial for public health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between periodontal disease (PD) and incident atrial fibrillation (AF).
- To examine the role of dental care utilization in relation to AF risk.
- To test if AF mediates the association between PD and stroke risk.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study (ARIC) cohorts.
- Assessed periodontal disease severity and dental care utilization (regular vs. episodic).
- Employed Cox proportional hazards models and mediation analysis to evaluate associations and mediation effects over 17 years of follow-up.
Main Results:
- Severe PD was significantly associated with an increased risk of AF (adjusted HR, 1.31).
- Mediation analysis indicated that AF may mediate the relationship between PD and stroke.
- Regular dental care users exhibited a lower risk of incident AF compared to episodic users (adjusted HR, 0.88).
Conclusions:
- Periodontal disease is independently associated with an increased risk of atrial fibrillation.
- The findings suggest that AF may be a mediator in the pathway linking PD to stroke.
- Promoting regular dental care may contribute to reducing the incidence of AF.
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