Correlation Between Atrial Fibrillation and Degree of Periodontal Disease Explored
Findings from a cohort study published in BMC Oral Health revealed that the risk of developing atrial fibrillation (AF) appears to increase with the degree of periodontal disease (PD), and by efficaciously managing PD, the incidence of AF may be thwarted.
Based on previous research, the authors indicated that periodontal disease could trigger an immune process associated with systemic diseases, including atrial fibrillation, yet the association between periodontal disease and atrial fibrillation remains uncertain.
The objective of this study was to explore the correlation between variations in PD status and the risk of atrial fibrillation incidence. The authors theorized that the risk of developing AF may differ, contingent on whether periodontal disease improves or continues over time.
This study was a nationwide population-based cohort study that involved 1,254,515 participants. The participants had two consecutive oral health examinations. The first examination was during the first period in 2003 and the second from 2005 to 2006.
After the two oral examinations, researchers allocated participants into one of four groups based on the changes in periodontal disease status. The authors wrote, “ The four groups included : (1) periodontal disease-free (participants who were consistently free from periodontal disease during the two examinations), (2) periodontal disease-recovered (participants who had periodontal disease at the first examination but were free at the second examination), (3) periodontal disease-developed (participants without periodontal disease at the first examination but newly developed periodontal disease at the second examination), and (4) periodontal disease-chronic (participants who had periodontal disease at both examinations.”
Results revealed that of the 1,254,515 participants with an average follow-up of 14.3 years, 25,402 AF cases transpired. Results also indicated that during follow-up, the risk of atrial fibrillation was most significant in the periodontal disease-chronic group, followed by the periodontal disease-developed, periodontal disease-recovered, and periodontal disease-free groups.
Additionally, recovery from periodontal disease was correlated with a diminished risk of atrial fibrillation compared to having a chronic periodontal disease status. Compared to periodontal disease-free status, periodontal disease development was associated with an augmented risk of atrial fibrillation.
Based on their findings, the authors concluded, “ Altered periodontal disease status is closely associated with altered risks for AF. The benefit of periodontal disease recovery, or harm associated with periodontal disease development, may present.”
The authors also indicated that further studies are warranted to verify the value of recovery from or avoidance of periodontal disease to decrease the burden of AF.
Source: Park, JH., Lee, H., Kim, JW. et al. Association between periodontal disease status and risk of atrial fibrillation: a nationwide population-based cohort study. BMC Oral Health 23, 461 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12903-023-03165-x.
