Periodontitis and cardiovascular disease: Floss and reduce a potential risk factor for CVD.

There is evidence supporting an association between cardiovascular disease (CVD) and periodontitis. We determined whether patients with chronic periodontitis, who are otherwise healthy individuals, have higher serum concentrations of emerging risk markers of CVD such as C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin 6 (IL-6) and investigated the effect of subsequent periodontal treatment on the levels of these markers. A total of 40 individuals were included in the study. Serum levels of CRP and IL-6 were estimated twice, once on the initial visits and the other 3 months after periodontal therapy. The mean CRP and IL-6 levels were significantly higher (P < .001) in the patients compared with controls and significantly decreased (P < .001) following periodontal treatment. This study suggests that periodontitis is a potential modifiable risk factor for CVD.