Oral Manifestations of Patients Taking Anti-Hypertensive Medications

Background and Aim: High blood pressure is a common cardiovascular disease. Most cardiovascular medications have adverse oral side effects. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of oral manifestations associated with the intake of anti-hypertensive medications. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional analytical study examined 142 patients with a history of hypertension referred to Dr. Heshmat Hospital in Rasht who were taking one of the four drug categories of diuretics, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers, or beta-blockers. The patients' demographic information, medications, and oral symptoms such as mucosal burning, xerostomia, angioedema, and lichenoid reactions were recorded. The data were analyzed by SPSS version 24 using Fisher’s exact test and Chi-square test (P<0.05). Results: From 142 participants, 103 were males and 39 were females; 58.4% of the participants were 61 years or older. Concomitant use of beta-blockers and angiotensin receptor blockers (especially metoprolol and losartan) had the highest frequency among patients. Xerostomia was the most common side effect; angioedema was not reported in any patient. The prevalence of xerostomia increased with age (P=0.044) but it was not correlated with gender (P=0.119). Lichenoid reactions and burning mouth were neither age-related nor gender-related (P>0.05 for all). Conclusion: Oral complications are inevitable in patients taking anti-hypertensive medications, and in most cases it is not possible to change or decrease the dosage of medications. Therefore, regular dental examinations and palliative treatment can play a role in improving the patients' quality of life.