[Periodontal disease and cardiovascular disease: correlation or simple coincidence?].

The present paper reviews relationship between chronic periodontitis and cardiovascular diseases. Original papers on this subject, published in English in the period between 2001 and the first semester 2006, were located in the MEDLINE/PubMed database. Additional studies were obtained by searching reference lists of previously published papers. Periodontal infection provides a chronic reservoir of inflammatory mediators and cytokines, lipopolysaccharide, which contribute to the formation of atheroma. Moreover, periodontal pathogens can penetrate the epithelial barrier of the periodontal tissues and reach the blood stream, carrying out a local atherogenic activity. Some studies indicated that periodontal treatment could result in reduction of cardiovascular events. If these results are confirmed in further intervention studies, the prevention and the treatment of periodontitis should be considered as factors able to avoid or reduced the onset and/or evolution of cardiovascular diseases.