Periodontal Bacteria associated with Cardiovascular Disease Factor

New research supports the association between periodontal disease and a strong indicator of cardiovascular disease, according to an article in the latest issue of Circulation, published by the American Heart Association.

Previous research suggests a relationship between cardiovascular disease and chronic infections—including periodontal disease. To clarify the connection, researchers from the University of Minnesota Medical School and Columbia University in New York collected subgingival plaque samples from 657 dentate adults with no history of stroke or heart attack, and examined them for bacteria associated with periodontal disease.

They also obtained the subjects’ white blood cell counts and c-reactive protein values, and measured the thickness of the intima-media (inner and middle layers) of the carotid artery. Intima-media thickness is highly predictive of cardiovascular disease.

Analysis revealed that the burden of periodontal bacteria—Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerella forsythia, and Trepenoma denticola—was directly related to the thickness of the carotid artery. Whether the presence of the bacteria or the thickening of the artery occurred first, remains a subject for additional research.

The conclusions also note that the relationship of periodontal microbiota and atherosclerosis is independent of the presence of c-reactive protein, the lowering of which recent research suggests can help prevent heart disease.