A population‐based cross‐sectional study of the association between periodontitis and arterial stiffness among the older Japanese population

Objective To investigate the potential association between periodontitis and arterial stiffness among the older Japanese population. Background The prevalence of periodontitis is increasing in Japanese older adults. Arterial stiffness increases the risks of cardiovascular events and death, morbidity, and dementia. Methods This secondary analysis of data from a cross‐sectional study evaluated the periodontal inflamed surface area (PISA), reflecting the amount of inflamed periodontal tissue that was estimated by a full‐mouth periodontal examination. Severe periodontitis was defined per the parameters provided by the Centers for Disease Control/American Academy of Periodontology. The Cardio‐Ankle Vascular Index (CAVI) was used for measuring the overall stiffness of the artery, and higher CAVI indicated increased arterial stiffness. An ordinal logistic regression model was used to evaluate the association between periodontitis and arterial stiffness. Results The analysis included 185 Japanese adults [35% men; age, mean (standard deviation) 80.2 (4.4) years]. The average PISA and the prevalence of severe periodontitis were 64.4 mm 2 and 27.6%, respectively; 54 (29.2%), 56 (30.3%), and 75 (40.5%) participants were stratified to the CAVI < 9, 9 ≤ CAVI <10, and CAVI ≥ 10 groups, respectively. After adjusting for potential confounders, the odds ratio of the prevalence and severity of arterial stiffness evaluated using CAVI was 1.06 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.01 to 1.10] for PISA per 10 mm 2 and 2.12 (95% CI 1.09 to 4.11) for severe periodontitis. Conclusion Periodontitis was associated with arterial stiffness among Japanese older adults. Further studies are needed to investigate whether arterial stiffness is an intermediate factor in the pathway between periodontitis and systemic diseases, including cardiovascular disease and dementia.