Association of Periodontal Therapy on Hemoglobin and Erythrocyte Levels in Chronic Periodontitis Patients visiting a Tertiary Care Hospital, Nepal

Abstract

Introduction: Periodontitis is an inflammatory condition primarily triggered by persistent bacterial infection. Anemia of chronic disease, which is an anemia driven by cytokines, commonly occurs alongside various chronic inflammatory disorders. The objective of this study is to assess the impact of periodontal treatment on hemoglobin and erythrocyte levels in patients with chronic periodontitis.

Methods: The study included forty patients aged 30 to 60 years diagnosed with chronic periodontitis. At baseline, several blood parameters were recorded, including hemoglobin (Hb), erythrocyte count (RBC), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), packed cell volume (PCV), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC). The initial periodontal parameters documented included: plaque index, gingival index, probing pocket depth, and clinical attachment level. All participants underwent non-surgical periodontal treatment (scaling and root planing). Blood and periodontal parameters were measured again after 3 months.

Results: The findings indicated that the resolution of periodontal inflammation led to a notable increase in hemoglobin levels and erythrocyte counts. The hemoglobin level rose by 0.32±0.24 gm/dl, while the erythrocyte count increased by 0.10±0.07 million cells/mm3. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate decreased, indicating the alleviation of periodontal inflammation. Nevertheless, the values for MCV, MCH, and MCHC did not show significant changes. There were significant improvements in the plaque index (PI), gingival index (GI), probing depth (PD), and clinical attachment level (CAL) with a reduction in probing depth of 1.35 mm and a gain in clinical attachment level of 1.27 mm (p<0.001).

Conclusion: The findings from this study demonstrate that periodontal treatment contributes to improved hematological parameters in patients suffering from chronic periodontitis.