Moderate and severe periodontitis are positively associated with metabolic syndrome

This study investigated the association between periodontitis severity (exposure) and metabolic syndrome (MetS - outcome), using two criteria for diagnosis of the outcome, since this relationship remains unexplored.

A case-control study was conducted with 870 individuals: 408 with first MetS diagnosis (cases) and 462 without MetS (controls). Participants' general information was obtained using a questionnaire and laboratory data was collected from medical records. Periodontitis severity criteria followed the Center for Disease Control and Prevention: none, mild, moderate, and severe. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were determined by logistic regression analysis.

Findings showed a positive association between moderate and severe periodontitis and MetS: OR_adjusted = 1.64 (95% CI: 1.01 to 2.68) and OR_adjusted = 1.94 (95% CI: 1.19 to 3.16), respectively, after adjustment for age, sex, schooling level, smoking habit, and cardiovascular disease. The adjusted measurements showed that among individuals with moderate or severe periodontitis, the probability of having MetS was around two times greater than among those without periodontitis, and that the chance was greater among participants with severe periodontitis than those with moderate periodontitis.

An association between the severity of periodontal status and MetS was found, suggesting a possible relationship between the two diseases.

MetS influences the etiology of cardiovascular diseases, one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide. The findings suggest that the greater the severity of periodontitis, the greater is the association magnitude with MetS. The health professional needs to recognize that the importance of periodontal disease may play in MetS.