Cowan LT, et al. - Data from 8092 members of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study were evaluated to assess the association between periodontal disease and venous thromboembolism (VTE). They noticed 313 incident VTE events over a mean of 12.9 years of follow-up. After adjusting demographic factors, SES, periodontal risk factors, oral hygiene, and access to dental care variables, they found a correlation between self-reported tooth loss due to gum disease and 30% higher VTE risk. They did not find any statistically significant association between clinical measures of periodontitis and VTE after adjustment.