Gum health in people hospitalized for an acute heart attack

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

Observational University of Aberdeen · NCT04719026

This project will test whether people recently hospitalized for a heart attack have worse gum disease than similar people who have not had a heart attack.

Quick facts

Study typeObservational
Enrollment320 (estimated)
Ages20 Years to 90 Years
SexAll
SponsorUniversity of Aberdeen Academic / other
Locations1 site (Aberdeen)
Trial IDNCT04719026 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

This is an observational case-control comparison of full-mouth periodontal health in adults admitted with acute myocardial infarction versus matched dental patient controls. Cases are adults aged 20–90 recently hospitalized for acute MI and controls are dental patients matched by age, gender (±7 years) and coronary artery disease risk factors. All participants receive a computerized full-mouth periodontal examination using a Florida probe, and known confounders and exclusion criteria (recent antibiotics, systemic inflammatory diseases, certain medications, pregnancy, severe comorbidities) are applied. The goal is to determine whether periodontitis is more prevalent or severe during the acute phase of MI after rigorous matching for other CAD risks.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults aged 20–90 who either were recently hospitalized for an acute myocardial infarction or are dental patients without prior heart attack who can be matched for age, gender and cardiovascular risk factors.

Not a fit: Patients with severe comorbidities, inability to consent, pregnancy, systemic inflammatory diseases, recent antibiotic use, certain gum-affecting medications, immunocompromise, malignancy, or specific hypersensitivities will be excluded and are unlikely to benefit from participation.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If results show a link between worse gum health and acute heart attacks, it could support targeting periodontal disease as part of heart-attack prevention or risk-reduction strategies.

How similar studies have performed: Several clinical and preclinical studies have reported links between periodontal disease and coronary artery disease, but few have examined periodontal status during the immediate acute phase of myocardial infarction, so aspects of this approach are novel.

Eligibility criteria

Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
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

Where this trial is running

Aberdeen

How to participate

  1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
  2. Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
  3. Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.
Conditions Myocardial Infarction, AcutePeriodontitismyocardial infarctioncoronary artery diseaseperiodontal diseases
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.