Microvascular complications linked to severity of periodontitis

(HealthDay)—Microvascular complications and poor glycemic control are associated with the severity of periodontitis, according to a study published online Jan. 27 in the Journal of Diabetes Investigation.

Hiroshi Nitta, D.D.S., Ph.D., from Tokyo Medical and Dental University, and colleagues conducted a multicenter study involving 620 patients with type 2 diabetes. The authors compared the prevalence and severity of periodontitis between patients with at least one microvascular complication versus those without microvascular complications, and among patients with different degrees of glycemic control.

The researchers found that the severity of periodontitis was significantly correlated with the number of microvascular complications, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) ≥8.0 percent, and older age (≥50 years), after adjustment for confounding variables (odds ratios, 1.3, 1.6, and 1.7, respectively). Periodontitis prevalence was not significantly associated with the number of microvascular complications, but there were correlations with male sex, high HbA1c (≥8.0 percent), older age (≥40 years), longer diabetes duration (≥15 years), and fewer teeth (≤25). The incidence of severe periodontitis was significantly higher among patients with versus those without microvascular complications in propensity score matching for age, sex, diabetes duration, and HbA1c (P < 0.05).

"The number of microvascular complications is a risk factor for more severe periodontitis in patients with type 2 diabetes, while poor glycemic control is a risk factor for increased prevalence and severity of periodontitis," the authors write.