Relationship Between Periodontal Disease, Tooth Loss, and Carotid Artery Plaque

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Chronic infections, including periodontal infections, may predispose to cardiovascular disease. The present study investigates the relationship of periodontal disease and tooth loss with subclinical atherosclerosis. METHODS: We enrolled 711 subjects with a mean age of 66+/-9 years and no history of stroke or myocardial infarction in the Oral Infections and Vascular Disease Epidemiology Study. Subjects received a comprehensive periodontal examination, extensive in-person cardiovascular disease risk factor measurements, and a carotid scan using high-resolution B-mode ultrasound. Regression models were adjusted for conventional risk factors (age, sex, smoking, diabetes, systolic blood pressure, low- and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, race-ethnicity, education, physical activity) and markers of cultural background, healthy lifestyle, and psychosocial health. RESULTS: Measures of both current and cumulative periodontitis became more severe as tooth loss increased. A significant association was observed between tooth loss levels and carotid artery plaque prevalence. Among those with 0 to 9 missing teeth, 46% had carotid artery plaque, whereas among those with >or=10 missing teeth, carotid artery plaque prevalence was approximately 60% (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that tooth loss is a marker of past periodontal disease in this population and is related to subclinical atherosclerosis, thereby providing a potential pathway for a relationship with clinical events.