Aim: Several studies have suggested that metabolic disorders are related to periodontitis. The objective of this study is to assess whether periodontitis is associated with the metabolic syndrome (MetS) among Koreans.
Material and methods: This case-control study was performed among 167 cases with MetS and 166 healthy controls from Shiwha-Banwol Environmental Health Cohort (N = 1853). The community periodontal index (CPI) was used to assess periodontitis (CPI 3-4). MetS was an outcome variable and periodontitis was a main explanatory variable. Age-gender-matched conditional logistic regression models were applied. Monthly household income, smoking, drinking, physical activity and diabetes mellitus were factored as confounders. We also performed stratified analyses according to confounders.
Results: Those with periodontitis are more likely to be patients with MetS than those without periodontitis. The adjusted odds ratio of periodontitis for MetS was 1.76. There was no significant dose-effect response on the relationship between the number of sextants with periodontitis and MetS. Links became higher in adults aged 45-60 years and adults without diabetes mellitus.
Conclusions: These results suggest that periodontitis could be an independently related factor on MetS. Hence, dentists and physicians should be aware of the importance of periodontitis as a potential source of inflammatory burden.
© 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S.