# Association Between Common Systemic Medications and the Presence and Severity of Furcation Involvement: A Cross-Sectional Study

## TL;DR

This study finds that certain medications like ACE inhibitors and statins are linked to increased likelihood and severity of furcation involvement, a dental condition that can lead to tooth loss.

## Contribution

The study identifies specific systemic medications associated with furcation involvement, emphasizing their role in periodontal risk assessment.

## Key findings

- Male and non-Hispanic ethnicity were significant demographic predictors for furcation involvement.
- ACE inhibitors, anti-coagulants, and statins were significantly associated with higher odds of furcation involvement.
- Lisinopril, Aspirin, Atorvastatin, and Simvastatin were linked to increased severity of furcation involvement.

## Abstract

Background/Objectives: While furcation involvement is a known predictor for tooth loss, the role of systemic medications is understudied. This study aimed to investigate the association between common systemic medications and both the presence and severity of furcation involvement in a large patient cohort. Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study analyzed electronic health records from 15,881 patients within the BigMouth Dental Data Repository. The association between demographics, medication use (ACE inhibitors, statins, anti-coagulants, antidepressants, bisphosphonates, proton pump inhibitors), and the presence of furcation involvement was assessed using Chi-Square tests and multivariate logistic regression. The statistically significant relationship between medications and furcation severity (Grades 1–4) was analyzed using multinomial logistic regression. Results: Being male (OR: 1.34) and of non-Hispanic ethnicity (OR: 1.36) were significant demographic predictors for furcation involvement. After adjusting for demographics, use of ACE inhibitors (OR: 1.40), anti-coagulants (OR: 1.19), and statins (OR: 1.14) were significantly associated with higher odds of furcation involvement. Specifically, Lisinopril (OR: 1.48), Enalapril (OR: 1.83), and Atorvastatin (OR: 1.27) were significant predictors. Furthermore, patients taking Lisinopril, Aspirin, Atorvastatin, or Simvastatin had approximately 1.5 times the odds of having Grade 3 involvement compared to Grade 1 (p ≤ 0.001). Conclusions: The use of certain systemic medications, particularly for cardiovascular conditions, is independently associated with both a higher likelihood and increased severity of furcation involvement, highlighting the critical need for dental professionals to consider a patient’s medication profile as an integral part of periodontal risk assessment.