Assessing the correlation between sublingual varices and hypertension among the adults of Satara district, Maharashtra: An observational study

Aim: In most of the times, sublingual varices (SLV) are noticed during aging process, cardiovascular disease, and smoking. The aim of this study was to find the relation of SLV and the presence of hypertension. Materials and Methods: A total of 215 dental patients were enrolled for the study, of which 14 were dropped, and the status of tongue and blood pressure of a total of 201 study subjects was recorded. The patients with an average blood pressure (at home) of ≥85 mm Hg (diastolic) and ≥135 mm Hg (systolic) were reported to the hospital, where three hypertension measurements were recorded with an interval of 1 week. Student t test and Pearson chi-square test were used for the analysis. Results: An association was found between hypertension and SLV (odds ratio = 2.16, P < 0.001). The systolic blood pressure was found to be 121.2 mm Hg and 138.1 mm Hg in subjects with grade 0 and grade 1 SLV, respectively (P < 0.001). The mean diastolic blood pressure was found to be 81.2 mm Hg and 85.2 mm Hg in patients with grade 0 and grade 1 SLV, respectively (P < 0.05). Conclusion: An association was observed between SLV and hypertension. Examination of lateral borders of tongue can be performed easily, and causes no harm to the patients, and can be considered as an important diagnosis method for the dentists to take an active role in preventive and primary health care.