Gum disease tied to 50% higher heart attack and stroke risk

<p>Background and Aim: The study ‘Periodontitis and Its Relation to Coronary Artery Disease’ (PAROKRANK) reported an association between periodontitis (PD) and the first myocardial infarction (MI). This follow-up study aims to test the hypothesis that those with PD—compared to periodontally healthy individuals—are at increased risk for cardiovascular (CV) events and death.</p><p>Methods: A total of 1587 participants (age &lt;75 years; females 19%) had a dental examination including panoramic radiographs between 2010 and 2014. PD was categorized as healthy (≥80% alveolar bone height), mild/moderate (79%–66%) or severe (&lt;66%). A composite CV event (first of all-cause death, non-fatal MI or stroke and hospitalization following to heart failure) was investigated during a mean follow-up period of 9.9 years (range 0.2–12.5 years). Participants were divided into two groups: those with and without PD. The primary event rate, stratified by periodontal status at baseline, was calculated using the Kaplan–Meier method and Cox regression.</p><p>Results: The number of events was 187 in the 985 periodontally healthy participants (19%) and 174 in the 602 participants with PD (29%; p &lt; 0.0001). Those with PD had a higher likelihood for a future event (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.26; 95% CI: 1.01–1.57; p = 0.038), following adjustment for age, smoking and diabetes.</p><p>Conclusion: The PAROKRANK follow-up revealed that CV events were more common among participants with PD, which supports the assumption that there might be a direct relation between PD and CV disease.</p>