PERIODONTAL HEALTH IN PATIENTS ACUTELY ADMITTED FOR MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION: A CASE CONTROL STUDY

Heart attack remains a major cause of death in adult population worldwide and especially within Scotland. A large portion of the general population has an increased risk of suffering from a heart attack because of their genetic make-up, disease profile and lifestyle choices.

Literature suggests that apart from these known risk factors, long-standing inflammation (reaction of tissues to infection or injury) elsewhere in the body may be responsible for heart attacks. It has been suggested that gum disease may be one such condition. If left untreated, gum disease may expose the entire body to a long-term inflammatory burden where inflammatory molecules can disseminate from the gums into the bloodstream and affect various body structures. This study explores the influence of gum disease on the risk of heart attack by comparing the gum health of participants who recently had a heart attack to the gum health of participants with no history of heart problems after accounting for other risk factors. Findings will provide critical information for the design of our forthcoming study to establish the effect of treatment of gum disease on the risk of heart attack, and its cost-effectiveness. Ultimately this research will tackle another risk factor for heart attacks and thus inform enhancement of public health prevention strategies.

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Key information

Conditions

Myocardial Infarction, Acute Arterial Occlusive Diseases Arteriosclerosis Cardiovascular Diseases Coronary Artery Disease Coronary Disease Heart Diseases Infarction Ischemia Mouth Diseases Myocardial Infarction Myocardial Ischemia Necrosis Pathologic Processes Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Periodontal Diseases Periodontitis Stomatognathic Diseases Vascular Diseases

Age range

20 year–90 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Observational

Primary location

Dr Karolin Hijazi

Aberdeen, AB25 2ZR, United Kingdom

Location status: Recruiting

Location contact

Karolin Hijazi, DDS, PhD

CONTACT

[email protected]

+441224555153

Karolin Hijazi, DDS, PhD

PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

About this study

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a multifactorial condition leading to most cases of myocardial infarction and results from interaction of genetic, lifestyle and environmental factors. However, as many as 50% of CAD patients lack classical risk factors of CAD suggesting the presence of other contributory mechanisms. Inflammation plays a central role in the initiation and growth of the plaques which form in the arteries (atherosclerosis) and lead to CAD3. As such periodontal disease, an inflammatory process leading to progressive destruction of tooth-supporting structures, has been associated with CAD. In vivo pre-clinical studies have shown that bacteria associated with periodontal disease can exacerbate atherosclerosis 7. Numerous clinical studies have explored the association between periodontal disease and CAD at different follow-up times following episodes of myocardial infarction 8-9. However, there are no reports investigating this association during the acute phase of myocardial infarction. In addition the need for rigorous matching of all known CAD risk factors in case control studies has so far been overseen.

RATIONALE FOR STUDY:

This case-control study aims to compare the health of tooth supporting structures (periodontium) in patients hospitalised for acute myocardial infarction to a control group of patients rigorously matched for known CAD risk factors, age and gender.

Who can participate

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

cases: Patients aged 20-90 admitted with acute myocardial infarction
controls: Dental patients, aged 20-90, matched to patients in the case study group for age, gender (±7) and risk factors for coronary artery disease (hypertension, obesity, diabetes, smoking, hypercholesterolaemia) but with no history of myocardial infarction)

Exclusion criteria

Severe co-morbidities, Inability to consent, pregnant participants will be excluded, participants with other systemic inflammatory diseases, patients taking antimicrobials or antibiotics in last three years, patients taking medications, such as cyclosporine, calcium channel blockers, phenytoin, immunocompromised patients, patients with malignancies, patinets with type-2 or type-3 hypersensitivities

Treatment and study plan

Full-mouth periodontal examination using computerised Florida probe

Other

It is an observational study to investigate the prevalence of periodontitis in cases and controls.

Primary outcomes

Prevalence of periodontitis

Time frame: Single point examination

Our primary objective is the description of periodontal health in patients admitted with acute myocardial infarction compared to matched controls

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Aberdeen

Other

Registry information

Acronym: PEDICAD

Important dates

Study start: 2018
Primary completion: 2027
Study completion: 2027
First posted: Jan 22, 2021
Registry last updated: May 8, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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Completed