Is Periodontitis a Predictor for an Adverse Outcome in Patients Undergoing Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting? A Pilot Study

Periodontitis is a risk factor for atherosclerosis and coronary vascular disease (CVD). This research evaluated the relationship between periodontal conditions and postoperative outcome in patients who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). A total of 101 patients with CVD (age 69 years, 88.1% males) and the necessity of CABG surgery were included. Periodontal diagnosis was made according to the guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2007). Additionally, periodontal epithelial surface area (PESA) and periodontal inflamed surface area (PISA) were determined. Multivariate survival analyses were carried out after a one-year follow-up period with Cox regression. All study subjects suffered from periodontitis (28.7% moderate, 71.3% severe). During the follow-up period, 14 patients (13.9%) experienced a new cardiovascular event (11 with angina pectoris, 2 with cardiac decompensation, and 1 with cardiac death). Severe periodontitis was not significant associated with the incidence of new events (adjusted hazard ratio, HR = 2.6; p = 0.199). Other risk factors for new events were pre-existing peripheral arterial disease (adjusted HR = 4.8, p = 0.030) and a history of myocardial infarction (HR = 6.1, p = 0.002). Periodontitis was not found to be an independent risk factor for the incidence of new cardiovascular events after CABG surgery.