Cardiovascular Disease: Periodontitis And Heart Disease
DHYG 3212 Research Project
Periodontitis and Heart Disease
Andrea Wilson
University of Arkansas-Fort Smith
Abstract
According to the American Heart Association, cardiovascular disease and heart disease are used interchangeably. Cardiovascular disease is a disease that is associated with the heart and blood vessels. There are many different types of heart diseases and they all include a variety of problems. Periodontal disease is a complex chronic inflammatory disease that results in the loss of connective tissue and bone support around the teeth. It can also lead to tooth loss in adults generally 40 years of age or older. Can the oral health of an individual be associated with cardiovascular disease? …show more content…
These include high blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes. Patients who have high blood pressure should have their blood pressure checked at least every three to five years. High blood pressure is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. “Hypertension has been called the “silent killer” because it is frequently asymptomatic and more than half of patients with hypertension are unaware that they have it” (Perry & Essex, 2014). Having high cholesterol levels poses more of a risk if combined with high blood pressure or diabetes. People who are at risk for developing heart disease are often prescribed antilipemic agents to lower cholesterol. Diabetes is another factor that can be modified. Medications can be prescribed for diabetic patients in order to control their glucose levels. A biguanide known as Metformin is taken to increase hepatic and peripheral insulin sensitivity and decrease glucose production by reducing gluconeogenesis. A sulfonylurea known as Glipizide is taken to stimulate the release of insulin from beta cells in the pancreas, reduce glucose from the liver and serum glucagon, as well as increase sensitivity of target …show more content…
There are current studies being done to determine if the two diseases are in fact associated or cause one another. According to Merchant and Virani, (2016), “poor periodontal health has been positively correlated with cardiovascular disease in numerous observational studies, however, it is not clear if poor periodontal health causes cardiovascular disease.” It has been found in some observational studies that the same bacteria in periodontal disease have been associated with three types of cardiovascular disease; atherosclerosis, hypertension and dyslipidemia. The real association between the two diseases is that they share common risk factors. Those risk factors include; smoking, diabetes, family history, and age. According to Simon and Zieve (2013), there is currently not enough evidence to prove that periodontal disease increases the risk for heart disease, or that treating gum disease can help prevent heart
Periodontitis and Heart Disease
Andrea Wilson
University of Arkansas-Fort Smith
Abstract
According to the American Heart Association, cardiovascular disease and heart disease are used interchangeably. Cardiovascular disease is a disease that is associated with the heart and blood vessels. There are many different types of heart diseases and they all include a variety of problems. Periodontal disease is a complex chronic inflammatory disease that results in the loss of connective tissue and bone support around the teeth. It can also lead to tooth loss in adults generally 40 years of age or older. Can the oral health of an individual be associated with cardiovascular disease? …show more content…
These include high blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes. Patients who have high blood pressure should have their blood pressure checked at least every three to five years. High blood pressure is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. “Hypertension has been called the “silent killer” because it is frequently asymptomatic and more than half of patients with hypertension are unaware that they have it” (Perry & Essex, 2014). Having high cholesterol levels poses more of a risk if combined with high blood pressure or diabetes. People who are at risk for developing heart disease are often prescribed antilipemic agents to lower cholesterol. Diabetes is another factor that can be modified. Medications can be prescribed for diabetic patients in order to control their glucose levels. A biguanide known as Metformin is taken to increase hepatic and peripheral insulin sensitivity and decrease glucose production by reducing gluconeogenesis. A sulfonylurea known as Glipizide is taken to stimulate the release of insulin from beta cells in the pancreas, reduce glucose from the liver and serum glucagon, as well as increase sensitivity of target …show more content…
There are current studies being done to determine if the two diseases are in fact associated or cause one another. According to Merchant and Virani, (2016), “poor periodontal health has been positively correlated with cardiovascular disease in numerous observational studies, however, it is not clear if poor periodontal health causes cardiovascular disease.” It has been found in some observational studies that the same bacteria in periodontal disease have been associated with three types of cardiovascular disease; atherosclerosis, hypertension and dyslipidemia. The real association between the two diseases is that they share common risk factors. Those risk factors include; smoking, diabetes, family history, and age. According to Simon and Zieve (2013), there is currently not enough evidence to prove that periodontal disease increases the risk for heart disease, or that treating gum disease can help prevent heart