Periodontal disease and cardiovascular disease: A native review

Periodontal disease (PD) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) are two types of the most prevalent disorders in elderly people, and an increasing number of data have shown a clinically important association between these two diseases. Numerous published studies have revealed a positive association between PD and CVD, such as myocardial infarction, coronary heart disease, peripheral arterial disease, stroke, and hypertension. Besides, periodontal conditions may be an independent predictor of all-cause mortality. Some interventional trials also indicate the effect of periodontal treatment on the CVD. The aim of this paper is to perform a critical review of the observational and interventional studies about this association, and we especially attached importance to the data from systematic reviews and meta-analysis. In addition, several pathogenic mechanisms implicated in the association between these two diseases were also reviewed. We suggest to promote close collaboration between physicians and dentists, thereby contributing to the improvement of prevention and control of cardiovascular conditions. Future researches are warranted to investigate the potential mechanisms.