Bacterial profile and burden of periodontal infection in subjects with a diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome

Abstracts on this page have been chosen and edited by Dr Trevor Watts

Abstract

Survivors with a diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) had a higher oral bacterial load than a matched control sample.

Main

Renvert S, Pettersson T et al. J Periodontol 2006; 77: 1110–1119

There is current interest in the possible association between periodontal and cardiovascular diseases. Consecutive subjects (161) diagnosed with ACS at a Swedish hospital and surviving the attack were matched to controls. Smoking, the major confounder, was assessed in the categories of never, former and current. (When these frequencies are compared, the result is non-significant, but a test of never-smokers against the rest is significant, showing more never-smokers in the control group.)

Periodontal examination largely within 2 months of hospital release showed moderately but significantly greater disease in the ACS group. However, plaque scores were also greater in this group. Subgingival plaque samples from the 4 deepest sites in 146 ACS and 120 control subjects, where probing depths of 6+ mm were present, showed significantly greater load in the ACS group. The authors consider that the load of certain organisms identified in ACS patients may be risk factors for the condition.