Prevalance of periodontitis in cardiovascular disease patients: an observational study

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are a group of disorders of the heart and blood vessels and they include: coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, peripheral arterial disease, rheumatic heart disease, congenital heart disease, deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. Oral infection models have emerged as useful tool to study the hypothesis that periodontal infection have its association with cardiovascular diseases. Periodontal infections are a leading culprit with studies reporting its association with various systemic conditions. It is also found that periodontal disease is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease but very few studies showed the prevalence rate. The aim of this study is to evaluate the periodontal status of cardiovascular disease patients. The periodontal parameters gingival index, bleeding on probing, probing pocket depth and clinical attachment loss were assessed. Some demographic factors were also considered. A total of 280 cardiac patients were evaluated from the hospitals of Nashik district, Maharashtra. It was found that 130 patients (46.5%) had periodontitis while 91 patients (32.5%) had gingivitis and only 59 patients (21%) had no periodontal disease. Evidence suggests that there is a strong prevalence of periodontitis in cardiovascular patients.