Comparative evaluation of periodontal indices in patients with ischemic heart disease and positive myocardial perfusion scan

Statement of the problem: Periodontitis is a common infectious disease that can be affected by different factors.Periodontal conditions can be influenced by systemic diseases and they also can act as risk factors for some systemic diseases. Several studies have been carried out on the relationship between cardiovascular disease and periodontal disease. Purpose: The purpose of our study was to evaluate periodontal indices in patients with ischemic heart disease who had a perfusion scan taken in a private gamma scan center in Hamadan. Materials and Methods: This case control study was carried out on 40 patients who were referred by a cardiologist to the Gamma Scan Center in Hamadan for taking a myocardial perfusion scan. The patients were periodontally examined and periodontal indices were recorded for each patient. The patients were then divided into two groups. The case group consisted of 20 patients with positive heart scan results and the control group consisted of 20 subjects with negative heart scan results. The two groups were matched in age and gender. Data were analyzed by SPSS, Version 11. Chi-square test was used for comparing gingival indices (GI) in both groups. Results: In this study, 40 patients consisting of 26 females (65%) and 14 males (35%) were examined. The mean age of patients was 54.45 years in the case group and 54.30 years in the control group. There were significant differences between the means of all indices except the plaque indices. Conclusion: This study showed higher incidence and more severe periodontal diseases in patients with positive perfusion scan.