People with severe periodontitis are four times more likely to develop diabetes compared to those who do not have periodontitis, according to a study by the Complutense University of Madrid and other institutions that are part of the Diabetes and Associated Metabolic Diseases area of ​​CIBER (CIBERDEM).

To demonstrate this association between two chronic non-communicable diseases, a pioneering study was conducted on a representative sample of the Spanish population.

“The reported association is stronger than that found in other studies, which were mainly conducted in Asian populations,” points out Eduardo Montero, researcher of the ETEP Research Group (Aetiology and Therapeutics of Periodontal and Peri-implant Diseases) and Associate Professor in the Department of Clinical Dental Specialities at the UCM.

Periodontitis is an inflammatory condition affecting the tissues around the tooth, potentially leading to tooth loss. Poorly controlled diabetes is associated with a higher prevalence and severity of periodontitis. In turn, periodontitis - recognised as a complication of diabetes - hinders proper glycaemic control in these patients, ultimately increasing the risk of more severe complications, such as nephropathy and neuropathy, etc.

Periodontal Treatment in Diabetes: A Future Goal
The results of the study, published in the Journal of Clinical Periodontology, arise from the participation of the ETEP research group of the UCM in the Di@bet.es study of CIBERDEM, the most important epidemiological study on diabetes in Spain.

To carry out the study, 231 patients underwent clinical examinations at health centres in central Spain, and the data were extrapolated to the more than 1,700 patients who completed the self-reported periodontitis questionnaire nationwide. Of that sample, 8.2% (144 patients) developed diabetes mellitus. “If we consider its usefulness from an opportunity standpoint, periodontal treatment for patients with periodontitis - being a simple and minimally invasive procedure - has proven not only effective in controlling periodontitis but also in reducing glycated haemoglobin levels, the primary marker of glycaemic control in diabetic patients.”
The next phase of the research focuses on longitudinal evaluation. “It would be ideal to be able to assess whether periodontitis is a real risk factor for the development of diabetes and, ultimately, whether periodontal treatment can prevent or delay the onset of diabetes in susceptible subjects,” concludes Eduard Montanya, professor at the University of Barcelona, ​​coordinator of the Diabetes and Metabolism Research Programme at the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute and scientific director of CIBERDEM.

In addition to the institutions mentioned above, the study involves researchers from the Hospital Clínico Universitario San Carlos, the Málaga Regional University Hospital, the Cruces University Hospital, the Central University Hospital of Asturias, the Primary Care Team - EAP Raval Sud of Barcelona, ​​and INCLIVA of Valencia, among others.

Montero E, Bujaldón R, Montanya E, Calle-Pascual AL, Rojo-Martínez G, Castaño L, Franch-Nadal J, Delgado E, Chaves F, Alonso B, Sanz M, Herrera D. Cross-sectional association between severe periodontitis and diabetes mellitus: A nation-wide cohort study. J Clin Periodontol. 2023 Dec 23. DOI: 10.1111/jcpe.13937. E.