Association of periodontal condition with insulin sensitivity – results of the Oulu1935 cohort study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.2340/aos.v85.46514Keywords:
Epidemiology, insulin resistance, periodontal diseases, longitudinal studies, oral healthAbstract
Objective: To investigate whether baseline periodontal condition predicts reduced insulin sensitivity (RIS) over a follow-up period of about 15 years among participants with baseline euglycemia.
Material and methods: A subpopulation (n = 224) of the Oulu1935 cohort was studied. Periodontal condition was defined by the presence and number of sites with periodontal pockets (probing pocket depth ≥ 4 mm) or by the participant being edentulous. Insulin sensitivity was measured using the Quantitative Insulin Sensitivity Check Index, with the lowest tertile indicating RIS. Rate ratios (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated using Poisson regression models with a robust error variance.
Results: RIS was observed in 21.3% of the dentate participants without periodontal pockets, 32.8% of those with 1–6 sites with pockets, 33.3% of those with ≥ 7 sites with pockets, and 40.8% of the edentulous participants. Furthermore, adjusted RRs with 95% CIs (in parentheses) for the association of periodontal condition with RIS (reference: dentate participants without periodontal pockets) were 1.4 (0.8–2.6), 1.1 (0.6–2.1), and 1.4 (0.8–2.7), respectively.
Conclusions: Poor periodontal condition and edentulousness predicted RIS. A healthy periodontium appears to support normal insulin function, but further studies are needed.
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