Relationship between Periodontal Status and Body Mass Index and Blood Pressure in Periodontal Maintenance Patients

Abstract

The relationship between periodontal disease and obesity or blood pressure has been suggested in some epidemiological studies in the general population. In this cross-sectional study, patients in the maintenance phase of periodontal treatment were used to evaluate the relationship.
Sixty male and 88 female patients (mean age, 61.8 and 59.3 years old, respectively) were recruited. The patients had not experienced the acute phase of the periodontal disease during the previous 6 months. The patients had less than 20% of periodontal sites with bleeding on probing (BOP). Patients who had taken antibiotics or drugs for hypertension or diabetes mellitus during the previous 6 months were excluded. The number of the present teeth, the average probing pocket depth (PD), the average probing attachment level (AL), the rate of BOP and the plaque control record (PCR) were recorded. The patients were asked about smoking status, height and weight, and body mass index (BMI) was calculated. Systolic and diastolic blood pressures and pulse rate were measured with an oscillometric method. Male subjects had significantly higher PD, AL, PCR, diastolic blood pressure, height, weight and BMI than female subjects. Multiple regression analysis was performed on the adjusted age, number of present teeth, PCR, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, pulse rate, height, weight, BMI, and smoking status. Male AL was related to the number of the present teeth, diastolic blood pressure and a smoking habit. On the other hand, female AL was related to the number of the present teeth and age.
Male PD was related to BMI; however, no relationship was shown between female PD and blood pressure or BMI. The male BOP was associated with weight and female BOP with BMI. These results suggest that there is a close relationship between periodontal status and BMI, which is observed even in periodontal maintenance patients.