Factors associated with the risk of gingival disease in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Gingival disase and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are linked at both the epidemiologic and pathogenesis levels. In this study, we aimed to identify environmental factors associated with RA and gingival disease and to investigate factors that protect the gingival tissue in RA patients. This retrospective study analyzed 754 RA patients with gingival disease selected from the NHANES database who completed the mobile examination center interview/examination between 1999 and 2004. Data collected included demographics, lifestyle, dietary intake, and biomarkers. The study included 173 RA patients with gingival disease. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the odds of gingival disease were significantly increased with male gender. However, the odds of gingival disease was significantly decreased with increased vitamin C intake (OR = 0.996, p = 0.041), and higher serum vitamin D levels (OR = 0.979, p = 0.011). Given the significant association between the prevalence of gingival disease and RA, identification of risk factors of gingival disease will be useful as a screening tool in national health surveys to improve the management of periodontal disease in patients with RA.