A postgraduate student of Sri Ramachandra University has won a grant of £10,000 for taking forward her dissertation work. Akanksha Grover, who finished her Masters in Dentistry, took up a project to study the relationship between gum infection and diabetes. Dr. Akanksha is currently in her hometown Lucknow and waiting for the convocation which will be held in September in Chennai. Her research work was presented virtually at a conference of European Federation of Periontology. The virtual presentation was for a competition organised by a company, and SRU participated in it. “Since the whole concept of the award is that it should be a group work and should be presented as such, I made the presentation,” said R. Suresh Rao, Professor and Head, Department of Periodontology and Implantology.
Dr. Suresh Rao clarified that the award requires them to work more before a presentation of the findings are made in London at a later date.
What is the significance of the research work?
It has been proved that gum infection (periodontitis) has been shown as a risk factor for coronary heart disease, preterm low birth weight babies, diabetes mellitus, pulmonary disease and rheumatoid arthritis. In this particular research project we selected patients with uncontrolled diabetes (with increased blood glucose and Hba1c levels) with gum infections. We performed non-surgical gum treatment on these patients. After three months when we evaluated the blood glucose levels and Hba1c was found to have significantly reduced.
How would you take forward your research?
Dr. Rao: Advanced oxidation protein product (AOPP) generated in diabetes mellitus is one of the cause for diabetic complications like renal diseases and atherosclerosis. Internationally for the first time we found AOPP generated in gum infections and when the same group of patients were treated for gum infection, the level of AOPP dropped significantly.
Hence, there exists a possibility that when gum infections are treated it may control/minimise diabetic complications. This finding is very significant considering the fact that gum infection is the most prevalent disease in India particularly when the country is set to become the diabetic capital of the world.
How did the grant come about?
Dr. Akanksha: We have opened a new door. Today, you see people as young as 30 seeking treatment for heart and kidney diseases. I believe that doing scaling and root cleaning procedures on those with high and uncontrolled sugar levels will bring down the AOPP levels significantly. The dissertation was presented through the telemedicine centre at the college as it is part of the curricular work.
What is the future course of action? Would you continue to work on the project, now that you have graduated?
Dr. Akanksha: Yes, the grant of £10,000 has been given to take the project forward. I will be returning to Chennai to continue the project. Four of us, including my guide and professor, presented the project.
