Identifying Patients at Risk for Inflammatory Driven Conditions

By Casey Hein, BSDH, MBA and Eraldo L. Batista Jr, DDS, MSC, DSC

The significant cost associated with delayed intervention in chronic diseases caused by systemic inflammation is widely recognized.^1,2 In light of this, we propose a model of risk assessment that will provide an easily implemented strategy to assist oral health professionals in identifying patients at risk for inflammatory-driven comorbid conditions. This model is predicated on the recognition that the cumulative inflammatory burden associated with periodontitis in an obese individual (defined as a body mass index [BMI] ≥30 kg/m2; >30% body fat in women, or >25% body fat in men) may foretell the presence of metabolic disorders, or downstream precipitation of incident diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and other inflammatory-driven conditions. Better patient outcomes—and more efficient use of health care resources—may be realized by implementing this risk assessment model in dental practice.

* References can be found in the original article via the link below.
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