title: Incidence of nutrient canals in hypertensive patients: A radiographic study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine if any correlation exists in the presence of nutrient canals in hypertensive patients and nonhypertensive patients, to compare the incidence of nutrient canals in different age groups, and also to compare the incidence of nutrient canals between dentulous and edentulous patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was carried out on patients, who were divided into a control group comprising of healthy individuals, without history of hypertension and a study group of patients with the history of hypertension. The necessary information like age of the patient, presence or absence of hypertension, its duration, and blood pressure were recorded. An intraoral periapical radiograph of lower anterior region was made using bisecting angle technique and was interpreted. The presence or absence of nutrient canals, bone loss, and the levels of bone loss were recorded. The results so obtained were subjected to statistical analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that the incidence of nutrient canals was statistically higher in the study group (55.2%) as compared to the control group (36.2%). The incidence of nutrient canals was also found to be increased with, the age till 60 years, amount of alveolar bone loss and in edentulous patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hypertension being one of the most commonly encountered medical problems in dental practice and many cases being undiagnosed, the presence of nutrient canal though not entirely indicative of hypertension, should increase the suspicion of the condition to be investigated further.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, Saraswathi Dhanavantri Dental College, Parbhani, Maharashtra, India.
authors.forename: Vinod R
authors.initials: VR
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, Vishnu Dental College and Hospital, Bhimavaram, Andhra Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: Raghavendra Mahadev
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Naik
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, Vishnu Dental College and Hospital, Bhimavaram, Andhra Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: Rajesh T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Academy of Medical Education's Dental College Hospital and Research Centre, Raichur, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Yadavalli
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Guruprasad
keywords: Bisecting angle; blood pressure; hypertension; nutrient canals