Date of Conferral

2020

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Public Health

Advisor

Chinaro Kennedy

Abstract

Heart failure is a growing epidemic that affects people nationwide and is disproportionate to African Americans. The purpose of this quantitative repeated measures study was to determine whether mandibular attachment device (MAD) therapy impacts symptoms of heart failure in African American male veterans diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The oxidative stress theory was applied in this study to assess whether MAD therapy received from Veterans Affairs (VA) dental clinics impacted heart failure symptoms, after controlling for patient body mass index (BMI) levels and smoking status. Research questions examined whether MAD had a significant effect on symptoms of heart failure in male African American veterans with OSA and whether BMI and smoking caused a moderating effect on MAD therapy treating efficacy on symptoms of heart failure. Secondary data from the VA was captured through the VA informatics and computing infrastructure. Data obtained from 29 records were analyzed using the statistical package for the social sciences. The repeated measures multivariate analysis of variance and the repeated measures multivariate analysis of covariance were used to assess the magnitude of change in heart failure symptoms (ejection fraction, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, oxygen saturation, brain natriuretic peptide, n-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide, and troponins levels) while controlling for the 2 covariates. Results showed a positive mean change in systolic blood pressure while using the MAD and a negative moderated effect after controlling for BMI at 4-months on oxygen saturation. This study will aid positive social change by providing new data that can be used by the public health field towards an alternative treatment.

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