Periodontal Disease in Patients with Ischemic Stroke - an Exploratory Study

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the periodontal disease parameters in patients with ischemic stroke. Materials and methods: The study included 21 patients with ischemic stroke and a control group that was matched in number, age, and gender. All participants underwent a standard periodontal examination. The inclusion criterion of this study was the presence of at least 15 teeth. Periodontal epithelial surface area, periodontal inflamed surface area (PISA), and periodontal disease stage were determined. All participants were given a questionnaire to determine oral healthrelated quality of life (OHQL). Stroke risk factors were assessed. Results : Stroke patients had a significantly higher OHQL score than the control group (20.81 vs. 12.57) and a full-mouth plaque score (FMPS, 27.57 vs. 16.83), while full-mouth bleeding score (FMBS) was significantly higher in the control group than in the hospital group (10.17 vs. 6.42). For PISA, statistically significant negative correlations were found for smoking, cholesterol levels, and LDL levels, while significant positive correlations were found for FMBS, clinical attachment level and probing depth. Conclusion: Tooth loss due to advanced periodontal disease combined with oral hygiene limitations remains the most significant obstacle for a more meaningful understanding of data represented by specific parameters that characterize the two diseases investigated in this study. Further studies on a larger sample size of patients with periodontitis stage 1-3 are required.