Abstract A009: Regular Dental Care and Reduced Risk of Secondary Ischemic Stroke in Patients with Cardiovascular Disease

Background: Oral health has been linked to incident cardiovascular disease outcomes including stroke, but its role in secondary stroke prevention is not well established. We investigated whether regular dental care utilization is associated with reduced risk of secondary ischemic stroke in subjects with a history of cardiovascular events including stroke or myocardial infarction. Methods: We analyzed Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study data to examine associations between oral health behaviors and secondary ischemic stroke in subjects with a history of cardiovascular events that were followed for up to 25 years. Oral health behaviors, assessed by questionnaire at Visit 4, included: regular dental visits (≥1/year vs. episodic/none), brushing (>1/day vs. ≤1/day), and flossing (≥1/week vs.