Triglyceride and Cholesterol Levels in Patients With Chronic Periodontitis

Many studies show that periodontitis is a risk factor for serum lipid levels increase. On the other hand, the increase of serum lipids is clearly a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. The current study aimed to assess the amount of triglycerides and total cholesterol in patients with severe chronic periodontitis. It also evaluated the relationship between the extent of periodontal disease, triglycerides and total cholesterol levels. This case-control study included 61 patients with severe chronic periodontitis and 60 healthy subjects aged 20 - 50 years. The study samples were selected from individuals who referred to periodontics department of dentistry faculty, zahedan university of medical scoences, Iran, from November 2012 to October 2013. The subjects in both groups were matched in terms of age and gender. The extent of periodontal disease, total cholesterol and triglyceride (TG) levels of the subjects were evaluated. Data were analyzed using Pearson Correlation Coefficient and independent sample T-Test. Triglyceride level in patients with severe chronic periodontitis (121.67 ± 67) and healthy controls (121.78 ± 64) was almost the same and the difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.99). Although total cholesterol level was higher in patients with severe chronic periodontitis (170 ± 40) than the normal subjects (164. 38 ± 30), the difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.41). There was a positive and significant correlation between the extent of periodontal disease and TG level (P = 0.03); while the relationship between the extent of periodontal disease with cholesterol was not statistically significant (P= 0.4). It seems that cohort studies with larger sample sizes on the relationship between periodontitis and cholesterol level (Total, HDL, LDL) are necessary.