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Periodontitis severity tied to microvascular complication prevalence in diabetes
Adults with type 2 diabetes and microvascular complications have an increased risk for severe periodontitis compared with those without microvascular complications, researchers in Japan report.
Poor glycemic control is also associated with severity and prevalence of periodontitis in adults with type 2 diabetes, according to the researchers.
Shuji Inoue, MD, PhD, of the department of nutrition and physiology, faculty of home economics at Kyoritsu Women’s University in Japan, and colleagues evaluated 620 adults with type 2 diabetes who presented to diabetes clinics at 21 institutions to determine associations between periodontitis, microvascular complications and glycemic control.
Overall, 34.5% of participants had retinopathy, 25.8% had nephropathy and 29.8% had neuropathy. Half of all participants had at least microvascular complication. Glycemic control was poor in 47.2% of participants, fair in 24.5%, good in 21.8% and excellent in 6.5%.
Compared with participants without microvascular complications, participants with all three microvascular complications had a higher prevalence of periodontitis (P < .01), but no significant difference was found for the prevalence of periodontitis between participants without microvascular complications and those with one or two.
Severe periodontitis was more prevalent in participants with three microvascular complications (49.4%) compared with those with one (37.8%) or two (36.9%). Participants with one (P < .05), two (P < .05) or three (P < .01) microvascular complications had greater periodontitis severity compared with participants without complications.
Participants with poor glycemic control had a greater prevalence of periodontitis (71%) compared with participants with excellent glycemic control (50%; P < .01). Severe periodontitis was more prevalent in participants with poor glycemic control (40.6%) compared with those with fair glycemic control (28.3%), good glycemic control (28.1%) and excellent glycemic control (28%). Participants with good (P < .05), fair (P < .01) and poor glycemic control (P < .01) had greater periodontitis severity compared with participants with excellent glycemic control.
“The present study had some important findings. First, in [patients with type 2 diabetes], the number of microvascular complications was associated with the severity of periodontitis, but not its prevalence,” the researchers wrote. “Second, poor glycemic control was associated with both the prevalence and severity of periodontitis.” – by Amber Cox
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.