Impact of severe periodontitis and diabetes mellitus on recurrent cardiovascular outcomes

Periodontitis is a serious gum disease that damages the tissue that supports teeth. In its final stage, it can result in tooth loss. Furthermore, studies have shown an association between periodontitis and cardiovascular disease (CVD) and diabetes mellitus. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between diabetes and recurrent cardiovascular events (CVEs) in patients with CVD and severe periodontitis. Another objective was to examine the link between diabetes and severe periodontitis. Thus, 1,002 inpatients with CVD were examined for periodontal disease and other medical conditions, such as diabetes mellitus, at the time of the baseline examination. Ten years later, questionnaires and patient records were used to determine whether new CVEs had occurred. CVEs include myocardial infarction, stroke/transient ischemic attack, cardiovascular death, and death caused by stroke. The results showed that severe periodontitis and diabetes mellitus, especially when the two conditions occurred together, increased the risk of CVEs. Furthermore, a higher percentage of patients with diabetes also suffered from severe periodontitis. Further studies should clarify whether periodontal and antidiabetic therapies reduce the risk of CVEs.