| Problem: Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, with 785,000 Americans having a heart attack in 2010. With an increasing number of people experiencing cardiovascular events, it is important to look for novel means of prevention. A new and growing topic in the dental and cardiology communities is the likelihood that periodontal disease is linked to cardiovascular disease. Therefore, the purpose of this literature review is to determine if periodontal disease and cardiovascular disease are related, and if they are, to determine what type of relationship they have. Methods: An online search using the Weill Cornell Medical College Library website was conducted to find articles focusing on both periodontal and cardiovascular disease. Articles included in the literature review were full text and were in English. Foreign studies that provided English translation were also included. Results: Analysis of the data showed a strong association between periodontal and cardiovascular disease. There was no evidence to suggest a cause-and-effect relationship. Both diseases share a common genetic susceptibility on chromosome 9p21.3, leading to chronic inflammatory conditions. Lastly, edentulism from longstanding periodontitis itself was found to be a risk factor for CAD, leading older subjects to experience more cardiovascular events than healthy subjects of the same age. Conclusions: Patients with periodontal disease had a higher incidence of cardiovascular events than healthy individuals. This population is important to follow and will need further investigation on prevention of cardiovascular events. |
