Background and ObjectivePotentially significant associations between metabolic syndrome (MetS) and periodontitis have been reported in recent studies; however, there are limited data on their association in the very old. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the association between MetS and periodontitis among 80-year-old Japanese subjects.
Material and MethodsThe subjects were 234 Japanese aged 80years old who participated in a health and periodontal examination in June 2008 in Niigata city, Japan, and were classified into three groups: (i) severe periodontitis: having six or more interproximal sites with clinical attachment level 6mm and three or more interproximal sites with probing pocket depth (PPD) 5mm (not on the same tooth) (n=19); (ii) moderate periodontitis: having six or more interproximal sites with clinical attachment level 4mm or six or more interproximal sites with PPD 5mm (not on the same tooth) (n=162); and (iii) no or mild periodontitis: neither moderate nor severe periodontitis (n=53). MetS was defined using the modified criteria of the guidelines for the diagnosis of MetS in Japan. An ordinal logistic regression model was used to evaluate the association between MetS and periodontitis. Adjustments for gender, income, education, smoking status, dental visiting patterns, brushing frequency, exercise habits and dietary energy and food intake were considered.
ResultsOverall, 57 individuals (24.4%) were diagnosed as having MetS. MetS was associated with the presence and severity of periodontitis (crude odds ratio=2.24, 95% confidence interval=1.14-4.41). This association remained statistically significant after multivariate adjustments (adjusted odds ratio=2.10, 95% confidence interval=1.03-4.28).
ConclusionOur findings provide evidence of an association between MetS and periodontitis in elderly Japanese.