INTERRELATION BETWEEN CARDIOVASCULAR RISK FACTORS, OSTEOPOROSIS AND PERIODONTAL DISEASE

Patients with periodontal disease share many of the same risk factors to patients with cardiovascular disease including age, sex, obesity and lower socio-economic level, stress and smoking. In addition, a large proportion of patients with periodontal disease also present the cardiovascular disease. A causal hypothesis of the association of periodontal and cardiovascular disease is the participation of the periodontitis in the pathogenesis of the atheroma formation. The proposed associated risk of periodontal disease for atherosclerosis potentially is linked to mechanisms of numerous systemic effects of lipopolysaccharide. Osteopenia together with osteoporosis is bone reduction resulting from imbalance between resorption and bone formation, with resorption tending to increase. Recent studies have documented the existence of some other potentially important periodontal risk factors such as stress, sex, age, genetic factors and also osteopenia (osteoporosis as a consequence of estrogen deficit). Osteoporotic patients and those with a cardiovascular disease should be advised to give more attention toward their oral health to prevent periodontal problems.