Association of Periodontal Condition With Impaired Glucose Tolerance: Results of a 15-Year Follow-Up Study

Objectives

The aim of this study was to investigate whether periodontal condition is associated with the development of impaired glucose tolerance (IGT).

Material and Methods

This study was based on a subpopulation of a cohort of persons born in 1935 and living in Oulu, Finland, on October 1, 1990. The participants were normoglycemic (no previously diagnosed diabetes mellitus and a 2-h oral glucose tolerance test [OGTT] blood glucose < 7.8 mmol/L) in the baseline examinations (1990–1992) and had fasting blood glucose < 7.0 mmol/L in the follow-up examinations (2007–2008) (n = 225). The outcome was IGT on follow-up, measured by a blood glucose level of ≥ 7.8 mmol/L after OGTT. The exposure was the periodontal condition at baseline categorized into four groups: 0, 1–6, ≥ 7 sites with deepened (≥ 4 mm) periodontal pockets, and edentulousness.

Results

A total of 23% of the participants developed IGT. The adjusted incidence rate ratios with 95% confidence intervals (CI) for dentate participants with 1–6 sites and ≥ 7 sites with deepened periodontal pockets, and edentate participants (reference category dentate participants without deepened periodontal pockets) were 1.5 (95% CI, 0.6–4.0), 1.8 (95% CI, 0.7–4.4), and 1.6 (95% CI, 0.6–4.0), respectively.

Conclusions

Poor periodontal condition may predispose individuals to IGT; however, further studies on this matter are warranted.