Hypertensive patients with periodontitis as predictors of cardiovascular and all-cause mortality: a long-term cohort study.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study is to examine the potential correlation between periodontitis and the risk of cardiovascular mortality and all-cause mortality in individuals diagnosed with hypertension, despite the established association between periodontitis and hypertension.

METHODS

The study utilized data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) conducted in 1999-2014 involving hypertensive individuals. Following the criteria proposed by Eke et al., periodontitis was classified. Survival estimates were calculated using Kaplan Meier analyses and a Kaplan Meier curve was generated. Weighted multivariate cox regression were employed to assess the association between periodontitis and all-cause mortality, as well as cardiovascular mortality.

RESULTS

Of the 21,645 individuals, 6,904 individuals were diagnosed with periodontitis. The Kaplan-Meier survival analysis revealed significantly higher rates of all-cause mortality (34.766% vs. 14.739%) and cardiovascular mortality (12.469% vs. 3.736%) in the periodontitis group compared to the non-periodontitis group. Hazard ratios (HRs) for all-cause mortality were 3.19 (95% CI 2.88-3.53) and for cardiovascular mortality were 3.80 (95% CI 3.13-4.61) in individuals with periodontitis compared to those without periodontitis.

CONCLUSION

Periodontitis is a risk factor for mortality in patient with hypertension, especially if it is moderate to severe. Improving periodontal health could lead to better outcomes for these patients.