Periodontitis is linked to a significantly increased risk of cardiovascular disease, a conference will hear today.
The research is presented today at the ESC Congress 2021. Dr Giulia Ferrannini of the Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden, and colleagues followed up participants in the Swedish PAROKRANK study, which had previously found that periodontitis – gum disease – was significantly more common in heart attack patients.
Figures were taken on 1,587 participants with an average age of 62 years, who had undergone a dental examination between 2010 and 2014. They were followed until the end of 2018.
Those with periodontitis at the start of the study had a 49% higher risk of the combined endpoint of all-cause death, non-fatal heart attack or stroke, or severe heart failure.
Among those who had a previous heart attack, greater severity of periodontitis increased the risks.
Dr Ferrannini said: “Our study suggests that dental screening programmes including regular check-ups and education on proper dental hygiene may help to prevent first and subsequent heart events.
“The risk of experiencing a cardiovascular event during follow-up was higher in participants with periodontitis, increasing in parallel with the severity. This was particularly apparent in patients who had already experienced a myocardial infarction.”
She added: “We postulate that the damage of periodontal tissues in people with gum disease may facilitate the transfer of germs into the bloodstream. This could accelerate harmful changes to the blood vessels and/or enhance systemic inflammation that is harmful to the vessels.”
Abstract: Periodontitis and cardiovascular outcome – a prospective follow-up of the PAROKRANK cohort. Presented at the ESC Congress 2021: The Digital Experience, online from 27 to 30 August 2021
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