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(Circulation. 2004;109:e9015-e9016.)
© 2004 American Heart Association, Inc.

Cardiovascular News

Ruth SoRelle, MPH

Circulation Newswriter

An extract of the first 250 words of the full text is provided, because this article has no abstract.

Status of Dental Health Could Predict Heart Disease

A method of evaluating dental health could provide important information about a person’s risk of coronary heart disease, said an international group of researchers in a report in this week’s issue of the journal Circulation ( Circulation. 2004;109:1095–1100[Abstract/Free Full Text]).

In fact, said the research team led by Sok-Ja Janket, DMD, MPH, of Boston University Goldman School of Dental Medicine, their method, called the asymptotic dental score, when combined with measurements of C-reactive protein, high-density lipoprotein, and fibrinogen, equaled or exceeded the Framingham heart score as a predictor.

The researchers decided that by estimating the total production of inflammatory mediators that could be attributed to diseases of the mouth, they might be able to predict coronary heart disease. To do this, they recruited 256 consecutive cardiac patients from the Kuopio University Hospital in Finland. All patients had angiographically confirmed coronary heart disease. A total of 250 controls matched by age, gender, and place of residence were also recruited.

Dental factors that could generate cytokines and other immune mediators were examined. Included in these factors were dental caries, dental status, root remnants, and gingivitis. From these factors, the researchers generated the asymptotic dental score using a variety of statistical analyses based on likelihood ratio. The researchers concluded, "The ADS [asymptotic dental score] may be useful as a prescreening tool for subjects without overt cardiac symptoms to encourage them to seek early cardiac evaluation."

Others who participated in this study came from Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland; Institute of Dentistry, University of . . . [Full Text of this Article]