Periodontitis increases the risk of high blood pressure.
People with periodontitis register up to 60% more risk of having high blood pressure.
The key: systemic inflammation
Main findings
Treatment of periodontitis may represent a novel non-pharmacological treatment to help control high blood pressure and reduce its complications
In addition, it has been highlighted that markers of systemic inflammation, such as C-reactive protein and leukocyte count, were elevated in patients with periodontitis and acted as mediators of this relationship.
Therefore, this study suggests that systemic inflammation caused by periodontitis may lead to increased blood pressure. If this association is proven causal, treatment of periodontitis would improve oral health and represent a novel non-pharmacologic treatment to help control high blood pressure and reduce its complications.
Next steps
To date, scientific evidence linking hypertension and periodontitis is based primarily on epidemiological studies. However, there are very few clinical trials with a robust design that have proven that adequate periodontal treatment leads to a reduction in blood pressure. Therefore, a multi-center clinical trial is currently being designed to evaluate the effects of periodontal therapy on hypertension and, in turn, to obtain a more detailed understanding of the molecular mechanisms through which periodontitis promotes the development of hypertension.
Current scientific evidence suggests that low-grade systemic inflammation promotes endothelial dysfunction and oxidative stress, mechanisms involved in the development of hypertension. Periodontal disease, in turn, is related to elevated markers of systemic inflammation. Therefore, from a biological point of view, it is plausible that these two diseases are linked, and the elevation of systemic inflammation markers could play a vital role.
