Prevalence and Severity of Gingival Enlargement among Antihypertensive Drug Users: A cross-sectional study.

Abstract

Background Drug-induced gingival enlargement is a well-known consequence of the administration of some antihypertensive drugs, including angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, beta-blockers, and calcium channel blockers. Objective To determine the prevalence and severity of antihypertensive drug-induced gingival enlargement and to assess the probable risk factors associated with gingival enlargement. Method A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted in patients attending the Outpatient Department of Periodontology and Oral Implantology, Chitwan Medical College and Teaching Hospital, Bharatpur, Chitwan, Nepal, from July 2023 to May 2024. A total of 246 patients of both genders taking antihypertensive medications for a variable period and meeting all inclusion criteria were selected for the presence of gingival enlargement and classified by severity. Descriptive analysis was performed in the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS, v.23.0.) using the chi-square test. Result A total of 210 (85.36%) subjects taking antihypertensive drugs appeared to have gingival enlargement. Among them, 86 (40.95%), 69 (32.86%) and 55 (26.19%) were taking calcium channel blockers, β-blockers and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, respectively. Regarding its severity, a marked severity was observed in patients taking calcium channel blockers followed by angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors and beta-blockers accounting for 51 (56.0%), 19 (29.7%) and 13 (14.3%), respectively. Conclusion Patients taking antihypertensive medications are at high risk for gingival enlargement, and inflammation is considered an important cofactor for the expression of this effect.