Effects of Periodontal Therapy on Cardiovascular Risk Biomarkers: A Systematic Review.
Level 1 - systematic review of randomized trials
Systematic review of 16 clinical studies evaluating non-surgical periodontal therapy.
PubMed 40842443 · doi:10.3290/j.ohpd.c_2173
What was done
A systematic review following PRISMA guidelines searched PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Scopus for English-language studies published after 2010. The review evaluated the effect of non-surgical periodontal therapy (NSPT) on cardiovascular risk biomarkers—including endothelial function, systemic inflammation, thrombosis markers, and lipid and glucose metabolism—in adult patients with moderate to severe periodontitis with or without comorbidities. Risk of bias was assessed across included studies.
What was found
Across 16 included studies, no numerical effect sizes, test statistics, or confidence intervals were reported in the abstract. Qualitatively, NSPT was associated with significant reductions in high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), IL-6, and TNF-α, as well as reduced HbA1c (particularly among patients with type 2 diabetes). Endothelial microparticles decreased, but findings across other vascular parameters (flow-mediated dilation and pulse wave velocity) were heterogeneous, and changes in lipid profiles were inconsistent and modest.
Why it matters
Treating moderate to severe periodontitis may provide systemic benefits by dampening systemic inflammation and improving glycemic control, reinforcing oral health maintenance as a component of cardiovascular risk reduction.
Limits
The abstract reports no quantitative estimates or meta-analyses, and the specific designs (e.g., randomized versus non-randomized) of the 16 included studies are not detailed. Results for lipid panels and vascular measures were inconsistent across studies, and searches were restricted to English-language literature published after 2010.
Cited by
- supports Periodontal chronic inflammation can be measured systemically as an elevation in HbA1c and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels.