Formation of the Atherosclerotic Plaque

From the Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA):

A recent scientific statement by the American Heart Association (AHA) titled “Periodontal Disease and Atherosclerotic Vascular Disease: Does the Evidence Support an Independent Association?” has stimulated a wave of media attention on this important subject. Unfortunately, a misleading press release that has since been corrected and re-issued resulted in dissemination of inaccurate information in the print and electronic media and has generated more confusion about a topic that needed clarity.

The observed association between periodontitis and atherosclerotic vascular disease cannot be attributed solely to the recognized common risk factors.

For this reason, it is a good time to take a closer look at:

• what we have learned from a wide body of literature in which researchers have examined the association between periodontitis and atherosclerotic vascular disease (AVD);
• what gaps in knowledge must be addressed in further research;
• what we, as health care professionals, can and should tell our patients today about this important topic.

Finally the American Dental Association decided to clarify the confusion on the Periodontal Disease – Heart Disease association. The editorial, published on the JADA, can be downloaded, free of charge at this link.

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