Inflammation. Hypertension and periodontitis are two
diseases which seem to be profoundly unrelated. However,
since periodontitis is a chronic infection that leads to
inflammation, the appreciation of periodontitis as a risk
factor for hypertension has burgeoned lately. There is now
evidence that supports periodontitis as an important risk
factor for CVD including stroke [70], peripheral artery
disease [65, 71], and coronary heart disease [72]. Particularly,
the inflammatory response accompanying periodontitis has