An association between periodontal disease and peripheral vascular disease.
BACKGROUND
Periodontal disease has been shown to be associated with increased risk of coronary heart disease. Because coronary heart disease and peripheral vascular disease (PVD) have similar pathophysiologies, we hypothesized that periodontal disease might be a risk factor for PVD.


METHODS
Using the combined data from the Normative Aging Study and Dental Longitudinal Study of the US Department of Veterans Affairs, we examined the relationship between PVD and periodontal disease. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used.


RESULTS
Over the 25 to 30 years of follow-up, 80 of these initially healthy subjects developed PVD. Compared with controls (n = 1,030), subjects with clinically significant periodontal disease at baseline had a 2.27 increment in the risk of developing PVD (95% confidence interval 1.32 to 3.9, P value = 0.003).


CONCLUSIONS
Periodontal disease emerged as a significant independent risk factor for PVD in a multivariate analysis that adjusted for other established risk factors.
Mendez
M V
MV
Department of Surgery, Boston University School of Medicine, Massachusetts, USA.
Scott
T
T
LaMorte
W
W
Vokonas
P
P
Menzoian
J O
JO
Garcia
R
R
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010510:Periodontal Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D016491:Peripheral Vascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D011859:Radiography; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors