Salivary Phosphate Level in Atherosclerotic and Healthy Subjects

Background: High phosphate level in the blood has been associated with high risk of atherosclerosis. Objective: The aim of this investigation was to compare the salivary phosphate level in atherosclerotic and healthy subjects. Method: Unstimulated saliva samples were collected from 10 atherosclerotic and 10 healthy subjects. Phosphate level was then measured spectrophotometrically at 880 nm wave length. Results: The means and standard deviation of salivary phosphate level in atherosclerotic and healthy people observed in this study were 905.0 ± 38.9 and 399.0 ± 65.5 ppm,respectively. After using Student's t-test, salivary phosphate levels in atherosclerotic subjects were found significantly higher compared to those in healthy subjects (p=0.002). Conclusion: From this study, it can be concluded that salivary phosphate level can be used as a biomarker for atherosclerosis.