Obesity and periodontal disease linked

MIAMI, April 6 (UPI) -- U.S. researchers observed significant associations between all measures of obesity and periodontal disease, or gum disease.

A team of researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston and the University of Puerto Rico evaluated the association between different measures of obesity and risk of periodontal disease.

They analyzed data from 36,903 men from the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study who were free of reported periodontal disease at the start of follow-up, and the study subjects were tracked them for up to 16 years 1986-2002.

The results provide the first evidence following a large group of people over time with clear evidence of obesity occurring prior to periodontal disease and support an association between obesity and risk of periodontal disease.

The team observed significant associations between all measures of obesity and periodontal disease when accounting for age, smoking, race, physical activity, fruit and vegetable intake and diabetes status at baseline.

The findings were presented at the 87th General Session of the International Association for Dental Research in Miami.