Now a unique new study is starting at five major U.S. universities to begin answering that question.
Faculty members at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the State University of New York at Buffalo are leading the new study because they pioneered investigations into the effects of gum disease -- also called periodontal disease -- on overall health.
The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research will support the three-year effort with a $7.2 million grant, of which UNC will receive $3.2 million.
Possible associations between periodontal disease and a higher risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke are moderate in nature, and we really dont understand them very well at this point, said Dr. James D. Beck, Kenan professor of dental ecology at the UNC School of Dentistry. These studies have raised a lot of interest among researchers, dental practitioners and the public, but many questions remain because several other studies have not found an association.
What were starting now is a pilot study to determine whether we can do a much larger comprehensive, randomized clinical trial looking at whether treating periodontal disease will reduce peoples risk for heart attacks.
UNC will have several special roles in the study, said Beck, who also co-directs UNCs Center for Inflammatory Disorders and Center for Oral and Systemic Diseases and is co-principal investigator for the new study.
Well be one of the field centers that sees and treats patients, and well also have a laboratory that will look at biological markers related to inflammation in the body, he said. The School of Public Healths Collaborative Studies Coordinating Center, under Dr. Lloyd E. Cha
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Contact: David Williamson
david_williamson@unc.edu
919-962-8596
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
20-Nov-2001