The infiltration of inflammatory mediators into the systemic circulation via the periodontium vasculature is thought to be the reason behind the development of periodontitis-associated cardiovascular diseases (CVD). However, it is unclear if mild oral inflammation, including levels experienced by many healthy individuals, can have an adverse impact on cardiovascular function. To address this, researchers measured the oral inflammatory load (OIL) via oral neutrophil count (ONC) in oral rinse samples from 28 young healthy individuals with no reported history of periodontal disease between 18 and 30 years of age.
Vascular endothelial function was also calculated by flow-mediated dilation (FMD). Participants with OIL levels associated with >2.5 × 10 5 ONC had a lower FMD % than those with ONC of <2.5 × 10 5 . Higher ONC predicted attenuated FMD of the brachial artery, indicating poor…
