Periodontal disease and risk of fatal coronary heart and cerebrovascular diseases

Background Recent reports have implicated periodontal disease as a risk fac tor for coronary heart disease (CHD). Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted using participants in th e 1970-1972 Nutrition Canada Survey (NCS), The mortality experience of male and female NCS participants aged 35-84 years without self-reported CHD (n = 10 368) or cerebrovascular disease (CVD) (n = 11 251) was determined thro ugh 1993. The relation between dental health and the risk of fatal CHD and CVD was assessed using Poisson regression modeling. Results In total, 466 CHD and 210 CVD deaths were observed; missing confoun der data reduced these numbers to 416 CHD and 182 CVD deaths. Adjusted for age, sex, diabetes status, serum total cholesterol, smoking, hypertensive s tatus, and province, we found a statistically significant association betwe en periodontal disease and risk of fatal CHD. Rate ratios (RR) of 2.15 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.25-3.72) and 1.90 (95% CI 1.17-3.10) were obser ved for severe gingivitis and edentulous status, respectively. Non-statisti cally significantly increased RRs of 1.81 and 1.63 were observed for severe gingivitis and edentulous status for CVD. Conclusions These data indicate that poor dental health is associated with an increased risk of fatal CHD, J Cardiovasc Risk 6:7-11 (C) 1999 Lippincot t Williams & Wilkins.