Poor Oral Health May Impact COVID-19 Severity, Especially for Heart Patients

Oral health may be an additional modifiable risk factor for high-risk COVID-19 patients.

The correlation between poor oral health and the severity of COVID-19, as well as the correlation between oral health and delayed recovery, shows that oral health may need to be considered as an additional risk factor for heart patients who may contract COVID-19. The new substudy, examining Egyptian heart patients, will be presented at ACC Middle East 2021, a hybrid meeting held in conjunction with the American College of Cardiology, Egyptian Society of Cardiology and the ACC Egypt Chapter on October 14-15, 2021 .

The oral cavity is a potential reservoir for respiratory pathogens. Previous studies have linked poor oral hygiene to increased inflammation and cardiovascular disease. According to the researchers, the severity of COVID-19 has also been linked to an inflammatory response.

The researchers hypothesized that increased severity of COVID-19 may be related to poor oral health, especially in patients with cardiovascular disease. According to the study authors, the study assessed oral health status, severity of COVID-19 symptoms, levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), and duration of recovery.

“Oral tissues can act as a reservoir for SARS-CoV-2, creating a high viral load in the oral cavity. Therefore, we recommended to maintain oral health and improve oral hygiene measures, especially during COVID-19 infection,” said Ahmed Mustafa Basuoni, MD, a cardiology consultant at Cairo University and lead author of the study. practicing good oral hygiene, raising awareness of the importance of oral health related to COVID-19 infection or systemic diseases through the use of media and community medicine, regular dental visits, especially in patients with CVD, and the use of [antimicrobial] mouthwashes [could help in] preventing or reducing the severity of the disease COVID-19.”

The study included 86 Egyptian heart disease patients with a confirmed COVID-19 PCR test. Using a questionnaire, researchers from Cairo University assessed the oral health and severity of COVID-19. An oral health score was used to determine the effect of oral health on COVID-19. Data on CRP levels and COVID-19 PCR testing were collected through the questionnaire and confirmed through medical records. CRP levels are used to determine when there is inflammation in the body.

According to the researchers, the correlation between oral health and severity of COVID-19 showed a significant inverse relationship, as did the correlation between oral health with recovery period and CRP levels. Poor oral health was correlated with elevated levels of CRP and delayed recovery, especially in patients with heart disease.

“Oral health should be a part of routine history and examination in cardiac patients,” Basuoni said. “Lifestyle measures should be imposed on all cardiac patients with regard to good oral hygiene with regular dental visits. We need to give more room in the research for these risk factors that can be easily modified.”

Meeting: American College of Cardiology Middle East 2021