Why patients with cardiovascular risk should go to dentist: is there sufficient evidence of influence of periodontal therapy on cardiovascular disease?

Abstract

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a common cause of death, representing 29% of the mortalityall over the word. More than 70 million Americans have been diagnosed with various forms of CVD,including high blood pressure, coronary artery disease (acute myocardial infarction and angina pectoris),disorders of peripheral arteries. There is strong evidence that periodontal disease (PD) is associatedwith an increased risk of CVD. In addition, many patients with CVD are also affected by PD, whichcan be mild or severe. The aim of this manuscript is to investigate the effects of periodontal therapy onthe management of CVD. Thirty-four randomised controlled trials and reviews were included in thismanuscript to test the effects of different periodontal therapies for patients with CVD. In conclusion, wemay affirm that there is some lack of knowledge on the relationship between PD and CVD, however thereis sufficient evidence to justify a periodontal treatment to prevent CVD; in fact, PD is very prevalent inthe middle-aged population and can have a significant impact on the cardiovascular function.