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Patients with Periodontitis should be Evaluated for Heart Disease Risk

by admin on July 18, 2009

A special consensus paper made by the editors of the Journal of Peridontology and The American Journal of Cardiology in the issue of The American Journal of Cardiology on July 1, 2009, states that additional research was made for patients suffering from moderate to severe periodontitis.Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease that destroys bone and connective tissue which supports the teeth. In the United States, 30% – 50% of adults have moderate forms of periodontitis and 5% – 15% of all the adults have severe periodontitis.

In addition, people suffering from this inflammatory disease are prone to have atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, the buildup of lipid deposits in the arterial vascular wall.

The relationship of periodontitis and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is not yet clearly established. However, inflammation is considered as a contributing factor because of its presence in other chronic diseases. Other explanations for the association of periodontitis to atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease include physical inactivity, obesity, depression, mental anxiety, genetic, diabetes mellitus and smoking.

According to the expert panel, the evidence of the relationship between the two diseases recommends doctors to check atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in their patients who have periodontitis.

The recently conducted research recommends that patients who have moderate to severe periodontitis must be properly informed about the high risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. They should be evaluated and given treatment to reduce the risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

“This consensus paper is important because it will draw attention to the fact that patients with periodontitis, especially moderate and severe forms of the disease, can have increased risk for coronary disease,” commented to the Executive Publisher of The American Journal of Cardiology, David Dionne.

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