Understanding the association of periodontitis and atrial tachyarrhythmia – A molecular and biochemical study

Cardiac arrhythmia refer to any abnormality or disturbance in the normal activation sequence of the myocardium classified as tachycardia (>100 beats / minute ) and bradycardia. Apart from the conventional risk factors responsible for triggering arrhythmia , chronic inflammation are increasingly becoming focus for cardiac arrhytmogenesis in the recent past . Inflammation is known to be pro arrhythmic  and leads to altered electrophysiologic properties in the myocardium. Periodontitis , a chronic infectious inflammatory disease , characterized by destruction of the supporting tissues around the teeth leading to bone loss and finally tooth loss. Periodontitis leads to acceleration of the systemic inflammation , through low grade chronic bacteremia ,resulting in increased levels of biomarkers : CRP, WBC, cytokines. These increased inflammatory markers have been documented for origination and progression of coronary artery disease/ atherosclerosis and also for their role in initiation and persistence of atrial fibrillation ( a prevalent type of cardiac arrhythmia .) 

study purpose : To understand the risk of periodontitis in a cohort of cardiac arrhythmia patients and compared to  age and SES (socioeconomic status matched) healthy cohort ( without arrhythmia )

Hypothesis  Cardiac arrhythmia are associated with increased risk of periodontitis