PAROCARD
Oral Health and Intima-Media-Thickness
A population-representative study within the framework of the NAKO Health Study (Level 3) on the association between oral health and a surrogate marker for cardiovascular diseases.
This project is funded by Else Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftung.
Many people in Germany develop cardiac, circulatory and vascular diseases in their lives. The main cause of these diseases is atherosclerosis caused by deposits of blood, fat, thrombi and connective tissue in the vessel walls. Such deposits can lead to a heart attack or stroke - the most frequent causes of mortality and disability in Germany.
Through intensive epidemiological research, important risk factors for myocardial infarction and stroke have been identified in recent years. These include, for example, smoking, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, disorders of fat metabolism (increased LDL, low HDL and increased triglycerides) and heredity. It is assumed that also psychosocial factors and chronic inflammation can act as risk factors. It was shown that elevated values of the inflammatory marker C-reactive protein (CRP) are associated with an increased risk of myocardial infarction and stroke. Very high CRP values often occur in patients with periodontitis - one of the most frequent chronic inflammations of humans.
This is why we have asked ourselves whether periodontal disease affects blood vessel health. We will answer this question with the largest nationwide study on the relationship between oral health and cardiovascular disease.
Funding
Else Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftung
Partners
- Dr. G. Aarabi, Poliklinik für Zahnärztliche Prothetik; Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf (Projektleiterin für das Konsortium)
- Prof. Dr. U. Seedorf, Poliklinik für Zahnärztliche Prothetik; Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf
- Prof`in. Dr. M. Stiesch, Klinik für Zahnärztliche Prothetik und Biomedizinische Werkstoffkunde; Medizinische Hochschule Hannover