Association between periodontitis and infective endocarditis in adults without structural heart disease: a narrative review of the clinical and microbiological evidence
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63688/8p86pz12Keywords:
infective endocarditis, periodontitis, infectionAbstract
Infective endocarditis remains a condition associated with high morbidity and mortality, whose relationship with oral health has gained increasing attention. The present study analyzes the association between periodontitis and the development of infective endocarditis in adults without prior structural heart disease. To this end, a narrative review of the literature published between 2021 and 2026 was conducted using high-impact databases such as PubMed, SciELO and Google Scholar. The collected evidence suggests that periodontitis acts as a facilitator of bacteremia episodes, promoting endocardial colonization through persistent microbiological and inflammatory mechanisms. These findings have direct implications for clinical practice, particularly regarding oral health prevention and antibiotic prophylaxis criteria. It is concluded that, due to the multifactorial nature of this relationship, further studies are required to optimize current preventive strategies.
References
1. Mousa SA, Al Juaid M. Primary Health Care. [Updated 2023 Jul 24]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Disponible en: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557641/
2. Paz Castillo Hernández LM, Martinez-Colarossi G, Foldats-Pulido D. Endocarditis infecciosa: un paradigma en la práctica clínica. Rev Cient CMDLT [Internet]. 2023 [citado 17 abr 2026]; 17(1): e235290. Disponible en: https://ve.scielo.org/pdf/cmdlt/v17n1/2790-8305-cmdlt-17-01-e-235290.pdf
3. Fernández-Hidalgo N, Almirante B. La endocarditis infecciosa en el siglo XXI: cambios epidemiológicos, terapéuticos y pronósticos. Enferm Infecc Microbiol Clin [Internet]. 2012 [citado 17 abr 2026]; 30(7): 394–406. Disponible en: https://www.elsevier.es/es-revista-cirugia-cardiovascular-358-articulo-la-endocarditis-infecciosa-el-siglo-S1134009625002785
4. Periodontitis [Internet]. Mayoclinic.org. [citado el 17 de abril de 2026]. Disponible en: https://www.mayoclinic.org/es/diseases-conditions/periodontitis/symptoms-causes/syc-20354473
5. Gasner NS, Schure RS. Periodontal disease. En: StatPearls. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2026.
6. Lindhe J. Periodontologia clinica E implantologia odontologica - 4b: Edicion. Editorial Medica Panamericana; 2005.
7. Abdulkareem AA, Al-Taweel FB, Al-Sharqi AJB, Gul SS, Sha A, Chapple ILC. Current concepts in the pathogenesis of periodontitis: from symbiosis to dysbiosis. J Oral Microbiol [Internet]. 2023;15(1):2197779. Disponible en: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/20002297.2023.2197779
8. Belibasakis GN, Belstrøm D, Eick S, Gursoy UK, Johansson A, Könönen E. Periodontal microbiology and microbial etiology of periodontal diseases: Historical concepts and contemporary perspectives. Periodontol 2000 [Internet]. 2023; Disponible en: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/prd.12473
9. Falconer JL, Rajani R, Androshchuk V, Yogarajah A, Greenbury RA, Ismail A, et al. Exploring links between oral health and infective endocarditis. Front Oral Health [Internet]. 2024 [citado 17 abr 2026]; 5: 1426903. Disponible en: https://doi.org/10.3389/froh.2024.1426903
10. Elky Abigail Murillo Maldonado, Tania Priscila Fernandéz Muñoz, Diego Xavier Toral Aguilera. RELACIÓN ENTRE LA ENFERMEDAD PERIODONTAL Y LA ENDOCARDITIS BACTERIANA EN ADULTOS MAYORES. REVISIÓN BIBLIOGRÁFICA. [ECUADOR]: UNIVERSIDAD CATÓLICA DE CUENCA; 2025.
11. Falconer JL, Rajani R, Androshchuk V, Yogarajah A, Greenbury RA, Ismail A, et al. Exploring links between oral health and infective endocarditis. Front Oral Health [Internet]. 2024 [citado 17 abr 2026]; 5: 1426903. Disponible en: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/oral-health/articles/10.3389/froh.2024.1426903/full
12. Sohrabi C, Franchi T, Mathew G, Kerwan A, Nicola M, Griffin M, et al. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the management of cardiovascular disease: A systematic review. Public Health Rev [Internet]. 2024 [citado 17 abr 2026]; 45: 1607684. Disponible en: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11750435/pdf/phrs-45-1607684.pdf
13. Delgado V, Ajmone Marsan N, de Waha S, Bonaros N, Brida M, Burri H, et al. 2023 ESC Guidelines for the management of infective endocarditis. Eur Heart J [Internet]. 2023 [citado 17 abr 2026]; 44(39): 3948–4042. Disponible en: https://academic.oup.com/eurheartj/article/44/39/3948/7243107
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Leiker Marcela Orbea García, Daniela Isabel Ordinola Vega (Autor/a)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
El artículo se distribuye bajo la Licencia Creative Commons Atribución 4.0 . Salvo que se indique lo contrario, el material publicado asociado se distribuye bajo la misma licencia.
