4. Replace fast food with fruits and vegetables.

5. Lose weight. 

What practical advice would you give to prevent cardiovascular disease? 

The first step is to know what your cardiovascular risk level is by regularly checking the strongest cardiovascular risk factors. For example, monitor your blood pressure, cholesterol and blood glucose on a regular basis; keep to a strictly healthy diet and avoid a sedentary lifestyle; avoid drinking alcohol and smoking, and if you have any cardiovascular risk factors, follow your doctor’s recommendations with regard to control and treatment. 

Are there any intervention studies on the relationship between periodontal and cardiovascular health currently under way?  

There is moderate evidence that the treatment of periodontal disease reduces systemic inflammation and improves arterial function. However, there are currently no adequate randomised trials on clinical events in primary prevention, which is probably because of the difficulty in standardising the type of treatment applied in each case. 

What are hospital cardiac rehabilitation units?  

Cardiac rehabilitation is a set of multidisciplinary measures aimed at increasing the functional capacity of patients with cardiac problems through physical exercise, correcting cardiovascular risk factors, improving the patient's psychological condition, cultivating knowledge of the disease and collaborating in social and occupational reinsertion. In short, it aims to modify the patient’s lifestyle, for life, trying to achieve the main objectives, which are to improve quality of life and to reduce morbidity and mortality. Cardiac rehabilitation is an integral form of prevention that involves professionals from different fields (cardiologists, rehabilitation specialists, nurses, physiotherapists, psychologists, urologists, endocrinologists, etc.), and we believe that dentists should also be included.  

What can be done in these units to promote oral health?  

First of all, patients can be made aware of the importance of periodontitis as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Secondly, the oral health condition of patients undergoing rehabilitation can be checked. And, should periodontal disease be detected, patients can then be referred to a dentist for appropriate treatment. 

WHAT CAN PHARMACISTS DO TO PROMOTE CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH FROM THE PHARMACY? 

Pharmacies are potential health providers, as they are easily accessible to the members of society, whether they are sick or healthy. They are usually the patient's first choice for seeking information on health-related issues. Their involvement in the recognition of cardiovascular risk factors and in the diffusion of clear messages on heart-healthy lifestyles can provide an additional mechanism in the prevention of cardiovascular and periodontal diseases.