Periodontitis and the incidence of metabolic syndrome: An 8-year longitudinal study of an adult Japanese cohort

Abstract

Aim: To examine the effect of periodontitis on the development of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and MetS components. Materials and Methods: This study included 4761 participants aged 30–74 years who underwent health examinations at both baseline and 8-year follow-up. The Japanese MetS criteria were used for diagnosis. The Community Periodontal Index was used to assess periodontal status. The association between periodontal status and MetS incidence was examined by Poisson regression analysis. Results: Multivariate analysis revealed that individuals with a ≥6 mm periodontal pocket had a significantly higher relative risk (RR) for MetS onset, as compared to individuals without deep periodontal pockets (adjusted RR 1.30, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.01–1.67). Compared to individuals without a deep periodontal pocket, individuals with a ≥6 mm periodontal pocket had significantly higher RRs for developing two components of MetS; the RRs were 1.25 (95% CI: 1.01–1.56) for abdominal obesity and 1.39 (95% CI: 1.03–1.86) for hyperglycaemia. Conclusions: Individuals with periodontitis had a significantly higher risk of MetS onset, possibly due to the influence of periodontitis on abdominal obesity and hyperglycaemia.