# Identifying the Role of Oral Health in Heart Disease through Integration of GWAS-by-Subtraction Genomic-Structural Equation Modeling with the Method of Instrument Variables

> **NIH NIH R03** · LEHIGH UNIVERSITY · 2024 · $331,999

## Abstract

Project Summary
Our proposed project will build upon previous research which has shown an association between oral health
and systemic health, including the relationship between heart disease and periodontitis. We will benefit from
recent methodological advances in computational genomics and be the first study to provide causal evidence
about the postulated relationship between poor oral health and heart disease using nationally-representative,
longitudinal data. Specifically, we will construct polygenic scores using a GWAS-by-subtraction genomic
structural equation model that are suitable for use in instrumental variables estimation. To accomplish our
Aims, we will use longitudinal files containing 11 years of data (2006-2016) from the Health and Retirement
Study (HRS). This longitudinal database will provide over 22,000 older Americans producing a sufficiently large
sample size to overcome prior analytical obstacles.
Aim 1. Determine the strength of genetic risk factors for poor oral health. The working hypothesis is that
individual genetic composition is a strong predictor of poor oral health.
Aim 2. Determine the causal effect of poor oral health on the probability of heart disease (HD). The
working hypothesis is that variation in oral health due to individual genetic composition can be used to identify
the causal effect of poor oral health on HD.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10952135
- **Project number:** 1R03DE034043-01
- **Recipient organization:** LEHIGH UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Chad Delbert Meyerhoefer
- **Activity code:** R03 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $331,999
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-08-15 → 2026-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10952135

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10952135, Identifying the Role of Oral Health in Heart Disease through Integration of GWAS-by-Subtraction Genomic-Structural Equation Modeling with the Method of Instrument Variables (1R03DE034043-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-12 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10952135. Licensed CC0.

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