2022 Volume 72 Issue 4 Pages 241-250
Several epidemiological studies have reported associations of dental diseases and/or poor oral health with metabolic syndrome. The present retrospective cohort investigation used dental and medical health records from checkups performed over a four-year period to evaluate the relationships of subjective oral symptoms with metabolic syndrome and its risk factors in middle-aged males. Males without metabolic syndrome (n=3,519), those overweight/obese, defined as a high body mass index (n=2,574), hypertension, defined as high systolic blood pressure and/or high diastolic blood pressure (n=2,785), dyslipidemia, defined as a high level of triglycerides and/or low level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (n=2,879), or hyperglycemia, defined as a high level of fasting blood glucose (n=3,604), who underwent a checkup at the age of 42 years were separately analyzed. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome and its risk factors noted at the age of 46 was then compared between participants with and without subjective oral symptoms recorded at the age of 42 years. To calculate odds ratios, logistic regression models were employed, with the 95% confidence interval determined after adjustments for confounding factors. Following adjustment for lifestyle behaviors, the results showed that ‘tooth decay’ and ‘bleeding gums’ symptoms were related to hypertension, while ‘bleeding gums’ and ‘swollen and painful gums’ were related to hyperglycemia. After further adjustment for general conditions, the relationship of ‘bleeding gums’ and hypertension, as well as ‘swollen and painful gums’ and hyperglycemia remained significant. These findings show that subjective oral symptoms in middle-aged males associated with periodontal disease in particular indicate the possibility of developing conditions known as risk factors for metabolic syndrome.
