Periodontal Disease and the Relationship to Cardiovascular Heart Disease.
Most individuals realize that there are environmental and genetic predispositioning factors associated with cardiovascular disease. These include: diabetes, lipid abnormalities and associated metabolism issues, obesity, hypertension and age.
Environmental issues play a major role also which may include: stress, smoking, chronic infections processed exercise.
Additionally more recent research shows that patients that have periodontal biofilms create a domino effect of chronic infections inflammatory processes, oxidative stress, and immune dysfunction to cardiovascular disease.
Bacteria: streptococcus mutants and porphyrominas, gingivitis can stimulate platelet aggregation and thrombus formation.
42% of atheromatous plaque are found in patients with periodontal disease. 25% of patients have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease. Men younger than 50 years of age have a 72% higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Additionally, those that have periodontal disease have a two-fold increased risk of both fatal and non-fatal strokes.