Association between the use of statins and periodontal status: a review

Background: Statins are drugs used for the treatment of dyslipidemia. However, statins have multiple actions, including anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects, as well as the ability to stimulate new bone formation. Such features could be beneficial for periodontal pathology therapy. Methods: A literature review was conducted using filtered electronic databases (Cochrane and Trip) and unfiltered databases (Medline/PubMed, Scielo and Google Scholar). The articles chosen were controlled and randomized clinical trials that performed local delivery of statins to humans and assessed the effects of immunomodulation and bone regeneration on periodontal disease between 2010 and 2017. All of the studies were blind or double-blind and were written in English. Results: The inclusion criteria were applied to a total of 79 identified articles, and 10 studies were ultimately chosen. The results show that an injected dose of statins or the local delivery of atorvastatin (ATV) leads to a significant improvement in clinical and radiographic periodontal parameters. Moreover, rosuvastatin (RSV) induced stronger beneficial effects when administered systemically, whereas ATV and simvastatin (SMV) had better results following topical delivery. Conclusions: Statins can affect periodontal status, increasing the gain in clinical attachment and decreasing gingival bleeding, probing depth and the magnitude of bone defects. For this reason, statins represent an excellent support measure for conventional periodontal therapy. Specifically, positive effects are seen for local delivery of statins as an adjunct treatment to scaling and root planing (SRP) at doses of 1.2 to 2%. Statins could be administered through topical delivery via direct injection in the periodontal pocket or by brushing with medicated dentifrices. More studies with appropriate designs should evaluate the short and long term clinical benefit of statins inpatients with periodontal pathology. These studies should determine the appropriate dose, timing side effects and ideal vehicles for delivery.