Can Statins reduce gingival inflammation?

A new study published online in the  Journal of the American College of Cardiology  (September  24, 2013, Vol. 62, No. 13) has found that taking a relatively high dose of Statins can reduce gingival as well as arterial inflammation. This is another scientific study that  confirms  the correlation between these two types of inflammation. This finding doesn't  prove that reducing gingival inflammation will cause a decrease in arterial inflammation, but it does support the idea that people with one may be prone to the other.

Statins do possibly present some troubling side effects, including myalga (muscle pain) and increased risk of developing diabetes and as such probably shouldn't be prescribed by dentists solely  in order to treat periodontal disease. The finding that drugs causing a reduction of arterial inflammation can affect gingival inflammation is an important one and to my mind suggests that studies should be performed with patients taking low dose doxycycline ( a drug dentists prescribe for patients that can result in a decrease in gingivial inflammation)  to see if any lowering of arterial inflammation might occur in patients with coronary artery disease.

About the author: Lawrence Spindel DDS is a dentist in New York City, who has has maintained  a general and cosmetic dental practice for over thirty years.