Connecting Periodontal and Coronary Artery Disease Via the Inflammatory State of the Body

Cardiovascular disease is one of the leading causes of death in the United States and the world. Many interventions relating to prevention have been emphasized as more risk factors for this devastating disease are discovered. Periodontal disease is known to have a close association with cardiovascular disease, but its role as a risk factor is still not well understood. Inflammation is a driving force in both of these diseases, creating a potential bridge between the two. Specifically, periodontal disease can cause an inflammatory reaction in the body, which may predispose or even directly contribute to atheroma formation in the coronary arteries. In this study, the investigators will study the link between the inflammatory state of the body and will search for a correlation with levels of coronary artery disease and periodontal disease. Inflammatory markers such as high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and immunoglobulin G (IgG) levels in the patient's blood will be analyzed and correlated to clinical attachment loss measured via pocket depth measurement, the distance from the gingival margin to the base of the pocket. A definitive link between these disease processes will allow preventive measures to be taken earlier to prevent this lifelong disease.