Periodontitis Increases Risk for Diabetes
Diabetes and periodontal disease frequently appear simultaneously. Some researchers have suggested that this relationship is bi-directional. Untreated diabetes can cause more severe periodontal disease, and periodontal disease left untreated can also worsen the effects of a diabetic’s blood sugar levels. Recently, a study published in Diabetes Care (July, 2008), has demonstrated that moderate to severe periodontitis increase the incidence of diabetes in later life. Investigators from the Columbia University School of Public Health, examined data from a national survey performed from 1982 to 1992. Data from 7,168 adult participants was used for this study. These participants had a least one tooth and no diabetes when first examined in 1982, and 53 percent exhibited some form of periodontitis. Participants were separated into 5 different groups, depending on the severity of their periodontal disease. Investigators then examined the data for newly diagnosed diabetes from 1982 to 1992.
The results were as follows:
1) participants with no to mild periodontitis had no increased risk for developing diabetes;
2) participants with moderate periodontitis had two times the risk of developing diabetes, and;
3) participants with severe periodontitis also had a higher risk of developing diabetes, however this risk was not as high as the participants with moderate periodontitis.
Study participants that lost numerous teeth over the ten year national survey study period were also more likely to develop diabetes than those adults that lost fewer teeth. Several professionals are in agreement that diabetics are at higher risk for developing periodontitis, with periodontitis being a problem of diabetes. This study shows that periodontitis may be a risk factor for diabetes.
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