Early carotid atherosclerosis in subjects with periodontal diseases.
OBJECTIVE
There is growing experimental evidence implicating chronic inflammation/infection as an atherosclerotic risk factor. In this study, the involvement of periodontal disease in the development of early atherosclerotic vascular lesions has been evaluated.


METHODS
In randomly chosen 82 patients with periodontal disease and 31 periodontally healthy individuals subjected to a clinical oral examination in 1985, atherosclerotic risk factor analysis and carotid ultrasonography was performed during reexamination 16 years later. Common carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT) and lumen diameter were measured and intima-media area (cIMA) was calculated. The relationship between IMT and cIMA as dependent variables and periodontal disease, age, gender, body mass index, heredity for atherosclerosis, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, plasma cholesterol, smoking, and education as independent variables was evaluated in a multiple logistic regression model.


RESULTS
The mean values of IMT and cIMA were significantly higher in patients with periodontal disease than in controls, both at the right (P<0.01 and P<0.001, respectively) and left side (P<0.001 for both variables). When the means of the bilateral measurements of these 2 ultrasonographic variables were tested, multiple logistic regression analysis identified periodontal disease as a principal independent predictor of the common carotid artery cIMA (odds ratio [OR], 5.20; P=0.003) and IMT (OR, 4.64; P=0.004).


CONCLUSIONS
The present results indicate that periodontal disease is associated with the development of early atherosclerotic carotid lesions.
Söder
Per-Osten
PO
Institution of Odontology, Karolinska Institutet, Box 4064 141 04, Huddinge, Sweden. per-osten.soder@ofa.ki.se
Söder
Birgitta
B
Nowak
Jacek
J
Jogestrand
Tomas
T
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010510:Periodontal Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D011859:Radiography; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D014070:Tooth / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014463:Ultrasonography