Relationship of cardiac disease with oral health

Objective: To observe relationship of chronic dental and oral morbidity with cardiovascular disease in Pakistani population

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Materials and Methods: All indoor cardiac patients aged 40 and above, clinically and angiographically diagnosed with CHD at Islam Central Hospital, Sialkot, were included in the study. Demographic and clinical data [Age, Gender, Smoking, and Diabetes] were noted from patients' hospital record files. Missing teeth were examined and number of teeth missing was estimated from the number of teeth remaining in the mouth upon clinical examination. Attendants without a history of cardiac disease, of the cardiac patients who agreed to be included in the study, were examined for comparison of tooth loss

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Results: Nine hundred and thirty six cardiac patients and 595 healthy attendants with mean age of 51.9 +/- 8.4 years were examined. Chronic periodontal disease and mean [+/-SD] tooth loss was significantly [P < 0.001] higher in cardiac patients. Odds ratio [OR] = 1.543 was found in cardiac patients when compared with healthy controls [95%CI = 1.985-2.851]. Tooth loss was significantly [P < 0.001] associated with both males and female cardiac patients especially along with diabetes and smoking

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Conclusion: Chronic periodontal disease and tooth loss were found to be significantly higher in cardiac disease patients in comparison to healthy controls. Other risk factors found were age, gender, smoking and diabetes