Relationship between Periodontal disease and Asthma among overweight/obese adults

TL;DR

This study found that severe periodontal disease is inversely associated with asthma among overweight/obese adults, especially regarding the use of asthma medication, suggesting a potential protective link.

Contribution

It provides new evidence of an inverse relationship between severe periodontitis and asthma in overweight/obese adults, highlighting the role of oral health in respiratory conditions.

Findings

Severe periodontitis linked to lower asthma prevalence

Severe periodontitis associated with reduced use of asthma medication

Proportion of BOP sites not significantly related to asthma

Abstract

Aim: To assess the relationship between oral health and asthma. Methods: Data from 1,315 overweight or obese individuals, aged 40-65 years was used. Asthma was self-reported, while periodontitis, bleeding on probing (BOP), and plaque index were determined by clinical examinations. Results: Using logistic regression adjusting for gender, smoking status, age, body mass index, family history of asthma, and income level, revealed that the odds ratio (OR) of asthma for a participant with severe periodontitis was 0.44 (95% confidence interval: 0.27, 0.70) that of a participant with none/mild periodontitis . On the other hand, proportion of BOP sites, and plaque index were not statistically significant. For a participant with severe periodontitis, the OR of taking asthma medication was 0.20 (95% confidence interval: 0.09, 0.43) that of a participant with none/mild periodontitis. Moreover, proportion of BOP sites was statistically associated to use of asthma medication while plaque index still remained non-significant. Conclusion: Participants with severe periodontitis were less likely to have asthma. Stronger evidence of an inverse association was found when using asthma medication as outcome. Keywords: asthma; periodontal disease; asthma medication; periodontitis; hygiene hypothesis