Eur Heart J
Treating gum disease may slow vascular aging
August 22, 2025

Study details: A single-center, randomized, controlled trial (NCT03072342) enrolled 135 otherwise healthy adults with periodontitis, randomizing them to intensive periodontal treatment (IPT: scaling, root planing, and surgical therapy as needed) or control periodontal treatment (CPT: supragingival scaling and polishing). Carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) was measured at baseline, 12, and 24 months. Secondary outcomes included flow-mediated dilatation (FMD), blood pressure, pulse wave velocity (PWV), and markers of inflammation and oxidative stress.
Results: After 24 months, IPT resulted in a significantly lower cIMT compared with CPT (mean difference: -0.023 mm; 95% confidence interval [CI]: -0.030 to -0.019; P<0.0001). FMD improved within 2 months in the IPT group and remained higher throughout the study (P<0.0001). No significant differences were observed in adverse events, anthropometrics, blood pressure, PWV, or metabolomics. Glycoprotein acetyl, an inflammatory marker, was reduced in the IPT group.
Clinical impact: These findings support the idea that managing periodontal disease may have systemic cardiovascular benefits. For clinicians, this underscores the importance of oral health in patients at risk for atherosclerosis and suggests that periodontal therapy could be a useful adjunct in cardiovascular risk reduction strategies.
Source:
Orlandi M, et al. (2025, August 19). Eur Heart J. Periodontitis treatment and progression of carotid intima-media thickness: a randomized trial. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40827724/
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