Cardiovascular Institute Program Coordinator Makes Presentation at World Congress on Acute Heart Failure

Employees at LifeBridge Health are always out and about in surrounding communities raising awareness of important health issues. But one employee recently had the opportunity to discuss the link between poor oral health and heart disease on an international platform.

Dr. Jasmine Demos, DNP, CRNP, clinical program coordinator of the Heart Failure Center at the LifeBridge Health Cardiovascular Institute, presented findings from research for her doctoral abstract, "Oral Health Assessment and Referral Guidelines: An Evidence-Based Practice Change," at the fourth annual World Congress on Acute Heart Failure in Paris, which took place April 28-May 2. Her poster presentation examined the incidence of oral disease in outpatient clinic settings and the correlation between improved oral hygiene and reduced morbidity and mortality among patients with heart disease.

Organized by the Heart Failure Association of the European Society of Cardiology, the World Congress on Acute Heart Failure is a forum for thousands of health care professionals from around the world to network, share and debate best practices, and dissect late-breaking clinical trials and possible new strategies for treating heart conditions. With encouragement from Dr. Mauro Moscucci, chair of the Sinai Hospital Department of Medicine and director of the LifeBridge Health Cardiovascular Institute, Demos submitted her doctoral abstract for consideration by the presentation committee. She earned her Doctor of Nursing Practice degree in 2014 from Chatham University in Pittsburgh, Pa. The presentation committee was accepting doctoral abstracts from candidates who completed their work in the last five years.

"I was flabbergasted and giddy with excitement when I was invited to present my work. It was an honor and a privilege to be part of such a gregarious group of individuals who love cardiovascular medicine," Demos said. "Members of the European Society of Cardiology share a common goal of reducing the burden of cardiovascular disease, which remains the leading cause of death in Europe. They are committed to disseminating scientific knowledge, acting in the interests of patients, and representing the community of cardiovascular professionals."

Demos also presented her abstract at the 2015 National Doctors of Nursing Practice Conference in Seattle, Wash.

Cardiovascular disease, which occurs when inflammatory plaque accumulates in the blood vessels, can potentially lead to thrombosis, myocardial infarction or heart failure. Some studies have shown that treatment of oral disease can decrease the body's C-reactive protein levels, a blood test marker for inflammation.

Oral disease can go unrecognized in clinical practice as dental care is not accessible to many patients due in large part to lack of financial resources. "I want to share the message that good oral hygiene promotes cardiovascular health," Demos said, adding that she helps coordinate patients' dental care "with the many participating low-cost dental center providers" affiliated with the Maryland Healthy Smiles Dental Program.

Demos' abstract, which identifies the poor dental health of those seen at outpatient clinics as "an unaddressed clinical concern" facing health care providers, deduces that outpatients presenting with loose teeth, dental decay or periodontal disease can successively receive dental education with a dental referral from health care providers for disease intervention. It also found that oral health assessments with dental referral guidelines are needed in all cardiac clinical settings to promote individual self-care management behaviors, improve patient health outcomes, and lower health care costs.

"Oral disease and how it can lead to heart failure remains a topic of interest to many. My passion is to help manage these conditions in the patients we treat at the Heart Failure Center," Demos said.