Reviews   

International Angiology 2010 February;29(1):27-9

Copyright © 2010 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

lingua: Inglese

Periodontitis and carotid atheroma: is there a causal relationship?

Tzorbatzoglou I. D. ¹, Sfyroeras G. S. ², Giannoukas A. D. ² ✉

¹ Department of Vascular Surgery, Red Cross Hospital, Athens, Greece; ² Department of Vascular Surgery, University of Thessaly Medical School, University Hospital of Larissa, Mezourlo, Larissa, Greece

Periodontal diseases are highly prevalent in the population. Several studies implicated that chronic periodontitis may affect the arterial wall inducing subclinical atherosclerosis by triggering a systemic inflammatory response. Three theories have been put forward to explain potential mechanisms involved: the theory of bacterial invasion, the cytokine theory and the autoimmunization theory. Periodontal inflammation could have a role in the initiation and progression of arterial diseases such as coronary artery disease and carotid atherosclerosis. Further clinical studies are required to investigate if there is a causal relationship of chronic periodontitis with echolucent unstable carotid plaques.