The effect of non-surgical periodontal intervention on pulse wave velocity: a marker of arterial stiffness and function

Abstract

Cardiovascular disease and periodontitis are highly prevalent diseases that are thought to be associated by chronic inflammation. The aims of the present study were: 1) to determine whether a relationship between periodontal disease and arterial stiffness exists in a sample of Indigenous Australians with periodontal disease; and 2) using a randomised-trial design, determine whether treatment of periodontal disease will result in an improvement in arterial stiffness. Findings presented in this thesis indicate that a positive association between periodontal disease and arterial stiffness exists but that a single session of non-surgical periodontal therapy is insufficient to alter arterial stiffness.