Is periodontitis associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease and preterm and/or low birth weight births?

The objective of this systematic review was to determine whether periodontal disease is associated with an increased risk for coronary heart disease (CHD) and preterm and/or low birth weight deliveries (PLBW). A literature search was performed to identify cross-sectional, case-control, and cohort studies as well as clinical trials addressing different aspects of periodontal disease (clinical, microbial, immunological) and clinical outcomes of CHD or PLBW. The periodontitis-CHD association was evaluated in eight cohort, four case-control- and four cross-sectional studies. Meta-analysis was not performed due to the extensive heterogeneity of the studies, particularly with regard to periodontitis measures, which varied from full mouth probing assessments to questionnaires. Percentage-wise, 50% of the cohort studies (4/8), 75% of the case-control studies (3/4) and 50% of the cross.-sectional studies (2/4) reported a significant association between clinical measures of periodontitis and CHD (excess risk ranged from 0 to 3.3-fold). The periodontitis-PLBW association was evaluated in one cohort and two case-control studies. The cohort study as well as one of the two case-control studies reported a significant association between periodontitis and PLBW (odds ratios 4.4-7.9). From two additional case-control studies microbiological data could be extracted. Bacteroides forsythus was found to be associated with PLBW in both studies. In conclusion, the evidence linking periodontitis with an increased risk for CHD and PLBW is limited. There is a clear need for new, well designed observational and intervention studies to confirm the thus far observed associations, explore the validity of the associations in diverse populations, establish whether they are causal in nature and determine potential benefits of periodontal intervention in reducing the risk for these conditions.