MECHANISMS OF PATHOGEN-MEDIATED ATHEROSCLEROSIS PROGRESSION IN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PERIODONTAL DISEASE AND ATHEROSCLEROSIS. REVIEW

ABSTRACT Periodontal disease (PD) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) are highly prevalent in the modern community. Both pathologies are chronic inflammatory disorders, which are influenced by multiple risk factors. In part, these factors such as age, smoking, and diabetes overlap between PD and CVD. Epidemiological studies suggest that PD is strongly associated with increased CVD risk. Biochemical and physiological analyses involving in vitro experiments, animal models, and clinical studies provided evidence for the substantial impact of periodontal pathogens, their virulence factors, and bacterial endotoxins on all general pathogenic CVD mechanisms such as endothelial dysfunction, systemic inflammation, oxidative stress, foam cell formation, lipid accumulation, vascular remodeling, and atherothrombosis.