MONDAY, April 6 (HealthDay News) -- Obesity may raise an individual's risk of developing periodontal disease, according to research presented at the general session of the International Association for Dental Research, held April 1 to 4 in Miami.
Monik Jimenez, of the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, and colleagues analyzed data from nearly 37,000 men in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study, who had no periodontal disease at baseline. Participants were followed for up to 16 years. Body mass index of 30 or greater at baseline was associated with higher risk of periodontal disease (hazard ratio, 1.25). Waist circumference of at least 40 inches was also associated with a higher rate of disease (hazard ratio, 1.19).
In another study presented at the meeting, F. Munoz of the University of Puerto Rico in San Juan, and colleagues analyzed data from a cross-sectional study with 146 subjects in San Juan who were at least 70 years old. Higher waist-hip ratio was associated with a significantly higher risk of moderate periodontitis (odds ratio, 5.63). High waist circumference was associated with non-significant trends toward greater risk of moderate and severe periodontitis, the researchers report.
"These results provide the first prospective evidence to support an association between obesity and risk of periodontal disease. Given the high prevalence of excess adiposity and periodontal disease this association may be of substantial public health importance," Jimenez and colleagues conclude.
Abstract - Jimenez
Abstract - Munoz
