Screening for cardiovascular risk factors in a dental setting

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Cardiovascular Disease Prevention
• Oral Health

Background:

• Assessing the role of oral health care professionals (OHCPs) in identifying patients with undiagnosed cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk.
• Focusing on patients unaware of their elevated CVD risk status.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate OHCPs' effectiveness in identifying patients at increased risk for CVD.
• To determine the prevalence of CVD risk factors among patients unaware of their risk.

Main Methods:

• OHCPs administered a CVD risk questionnaire and performed finger-stick blood tests for blood pressure, cholesterol, and hemoglobin A1c (HgA1c).
• Calculated Framingham 10-year coronary heart disease (CHD) risk scores for 100 dental patients unaware of their CVD risk.
• Determined the prevalence of risk factors including smoking, abnormal blood pressure, lipids, BMI, and HgA1c.

Main Results:

• 17% of patients had an increased 10-year CHD risk (Framingham risk score >10%).
• 73% of participants had at least one CVD risk factor; 31% had two or more.
• Men exhibited significantly higher rates of low high-density lipoprotein levels compared to women.

Conclusions:

• OHCPs successfully identified patients at increased CHD risk who could benefit from primary prevention.
• A significant number of patients were unaware of their elevated risk for a 10-year CHD event.
• OHCPs can play a vital role in public health efforts for CVD control.