Effect of chronic periodontal infection on systemic lipid profile: A clinical and biochemical study

Abstract

Background: Hyperlipidemia is one of the major risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD). In the recent years, some evidence has been presented that periodontitis is associated with an increased risk of CVD. To further elucidate this association, we have studied the levels of serum lipid profile in a periodontally healthy group and a diseased group. Aim: To study the correlation between serum lipid profile and periodontitis. Materials and Methods: The levels of serum lipid profile in 60 subjects, 30 with chronic generalized periodontitis based on clinical attachment loss (CAL) constituting the test group and 30 without periodontitis constituting the control group, were measured and compared with each other. Both these groups were free from other systemic illnesses. Statistical Analysis: The mean CAL was positively correlated with serum low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (P < 0.01). Results: The mean serum LDL cholesterol (126.62) and total cholesterol (173.32) in periodontitis patients were found to be significantly higher as compared to that of the controls. The mean CAL (5.32 mm) was positively correlated with serum LDL cholesterol. The frequency of persons with pathologic values of LDL cholesterol and total cholesterol was significantly higher in periodontitis patients compared with that of the controls. Conclusions: These results showed that high serum LDL cholesterol and total cholesterol may be associated with periodontitis in otherwise healthy people. However, it is unclear whether periodontitis causes an increase in the levels of serum LDL.