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Periodontitis and your heart

Q. I am a 56-year-old man with high blood pressure. At my last check-up, my dentist found gum disease and referred me to a periodontist for treatment. I know that high blood pressure increases my risk of heart disease, and I've been told that gum disease does, too. Is it true, and will the treatment help?

A. Dentists and cardiologists have been trying to find answers to your questions, but they have not yet succeeded. Several studies have reported that people with periodontitis are more likely to have heart disease than people with healthy gums. But the link may be less than meets the eye. Heart disease and gum disease share several common risk factors, including the male gender, advancing age, smoking, and diabetes. As a result, many people who are at risk for gum disease would also be at risk for heart disease even if the two conditions had no direct link. Still, because periodontitis is an inflammatory condition, it does boost blood levels of C-reactive protein and fibrinogen, both of which have been implicated in coronary artery disease.