Severe periodontitis in young adults is associated with sub-clinical atherosclerosis

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between severe periodontitis and sub-clinical atherosclerosis in young (<= 40 years) systemically healthy individuals. Material and Methods: Ninety systemically healthy subjects, 45 affected by severe periodontitis (mean age 36.35 +/- 3.65 years) and 45 controls without a history of periodontal disease (mean age 33.78 +/- 3.28 years), were enrolled in this study. Patients and controls were paired for age, gender, body mass index and smoking habits. Carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) was bilaterally assessed by ultrasonography at the level of common carotid artery. Traditional cardiovascular risk factors for atherosclerosis were also evaluated. Results: The overall mean carotid IMT was 0.82 +/- 0.13 mm in the test group and 0.72 +/- 0.07 mm in the control group ( p < 0.0001). Stepwise regression analysis showed that periodontitis ( p < 0.0001) and regular physical activity ( p=0.0009) were predictor variables of overall mean carotid IMT. When considering an IMT >= 0.82 mm as the critical index of increased cardiovascular risk, periodontal patients overcame this threshold compared with healthy patients by an odds ratio=8.55 [confidence interval 95%: 2.38; 39.81]. No investigated haemostatic variable was associated with increased carotid IMT. Conclusion: Severe periodontitis is associated with sub-clinical atherosclerosis in young systemically healthy patients.