Does non-surgical periodontal therapy affect serum lipid profile in chronic periodontitis patients? exploring a relationship

Aim The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of non-surgical periodontal therapy on serum lipid levels in chronic periodontitis. Methods Study population included 60 subjects between the ages of 30-60 years with chronic periodontitis. Only non-obese subjects were selected as determined by calculation of body mass index (BMI).Clinical parameters, probing pocket depth (PPD) and clinical attachment loss (CAL) were recorded. In addition, blood sample of each subject was investigated under 12 hour fasting conditions at baseline and 3 months following the nonsurgical periodontal therapy (NSPT) for: total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride, low density lipoprotein (LDL), high density lipoprotein (HDL), very low density lipoprotein (VLDL), LDL/HDL cholesterol ratio and total cholesterol (TC) /HDL ratio. Results Patient with chronic periodontitis have higher level of TC, LDL, VLDL, TG, ratio of LDL/HDL and total Cholesterol/HDL but lower level of HDL at baseline. Statistically significant changes (P < 0.005) in lipid levels were observed after3 months of nonsurgical periodontal therapy (NSPT). Improvementin clinical parameters of periodontal health were noted as well. Conclusion The present study indicates that non-surgical periodontal therapy in chronic periodontitis patients could cause significant changes in serum lipid levels which may help in preventing any systemic complications in future.