title: An association between periodontal disease and peripheral vascular disease.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Boston University School of Medicine, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: M V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Mendez
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Scott
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: LaMorte
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vokonas
authors.forename: J O
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Menzoian
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Garcia
mesh_terms: 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