Gum Disease Increases Risk for Diabetes

Study finds over 90 percent of people with gum disease are at risk for diabetes
December 14, 2009

The study, led by Dr. Shiela Strauss, Associate Professor of Nursing and
Co-Director of the Statistics and Data Management Core for NYU's Colleges of
Dentistry and Nursing, examined data from 2,923 adult participants in the
2003-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey who had not been
diagnosed with diabetes. The survey, conducted by the National Center for
Health Statistics of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, was
designed to assess the health and nutritional status of adults and children in
the United States.

Using guidelines established by the American Diabetes Association, Dr. Strauss
determined that 93 percent of subjects who had periodontal disease, compared to
63 percent of those without the disease, were considered to be at high risk for
diabetes and should be screened for diabetes. The guidelines recommend diabetes
screening for people at least 45 years of age with a body mass index (a
comparative measure of weight and height) of 25 or more, as well as for those
under 45 years of age with a BMI of 25 or more who also have at least one
additional diabetes risk factor. In Dr. Strauss's study, two of those
additional risk factors - high blood pressure
and a first-degree relative (a parent or sibling) with diabetes - were reported
in a significantly greater number of subjects with periodontal disease than in
subjects without the disease.

Dr. Strauss's findings, published today in the
online edition of the Journal of Public Health Dentistry, add to a growing body
of evidence linking periodontal infections to an increased risk for diabetes.
Dr. Strauss also examined how often those with gum disease and a risk for
diabetes visit a dentist, finding that three in five reported a dental visit in
the past two years; half in the past year; and a third in the past six months.
"In light of these findings, the dental visit could be a useful opportunity to
conduct an initial diabetes screening -- an important first step in identifying
those patients who need follow-up testing to diagnose the disease."
"It's been estimated that 5.7 million Americans with diabetes were undiagnosed
in 2007," Dr. Strauss added, "with the number expected to increase dramatically
in coming years. The issue of undiagnosed diabetes is especially critical
because early treatment and secondary prevention efforts may help to prevent or
delay the long-term complications of diabetes that are responsible for reduced
quality of life and increased levels of mortality among these patients. Thus,
there is a critical need to increase opportunities for diabetes screening and
early diabetes detection."

>From PhysOrg.com
http://www.physorg.com/news180015527.html