Association of leukocyte telomere length with periodontal attachment loss based on a cross-sectional study

Leukocyte telomere length (LTL) has been implicated in various health outcomes, but its association with attachment loss in periodontal health remains underexplored.

A total of 2521 US adults (Age: 61-85; Men: 50.5%) from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1999-2002) were included in this cross-sectional study. Baseline demographics were obtained from the questionaries, and LTL was determined using a polymerase chain reaction, and periodontal attachment loss was defined according to a professional physical examination. Multivariable regression analyses were conducted to assess the association between LTL, treated as a categorical and continuous variable, and periodontal attachment loss. The sensitivity analysis was verified by subgroup analyse, where interaction terms were used to examine the heterogeneity in associations across different subgroups.

Compared to the lowest quartile, the highest LTL quartile exhibited a significant positive association with periodontal attachment loss in the fully-adjusted model (β: 1.54 to 1.71, P < 0.05). When LTL was treated as a continuous variable, a positive association persisted in the fully-adjusted model (β: 2.22 to 3.24, P < 0.05). Subgroup analyses revealed a consistent positive association between LTL and periodontal attachment loss.

This study provides evidence of a positive association between leukocyte telomere length and attachment loss in periodontal health. Our results suggested that LTL may serve as a potential biomarker for periodontal health, emphasizing the importance of considering telomere length in understanding and managing periodontal conditions.