Association between periodontal disease and cerebrovascular disease. A review of the literature

Periodontal disease and cerebrovascular disease are two of the most prevalent processes in elderly people. Various studies have shown an association between them, although some methodological differences exist and this difficult the data interpretation. The aim of this paper is to conduct a critical review of the studies published about this association. Eleven prospective studies and 11 retrospective studies are included in this review. We analyse the different methodological outcomes (study population, periodontal diagnosis, cerebrovascular disease definition, adjusted outcomes and odds ratio/relative risk). Furthermore, we review several pathogenic mechanisms implicated in the progression and the relationship between both processes.