Metabolic Syndrome Affects Oral Health

Metabolic Syndrome Affects Oral Health

The association between periodontitis and metabolic syndrome—characterized by increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess abdominal fat, and abnormal cholesterol levels—is well-established, but researchers recently sought to better understand the mechanisms of this relationship. Using scientifically backed statistics as a starting point, the team tested its hypothesis that metabolic syndrome increases the risk of periodontal inflammation and alveolar bone loss. The study results, “Metabolic Syndrome Exacerbates Inflammation and Bone Loss in Periodontitis,” were published in December’s Journal of Dental Research.

In research conducted on mice, the team induced metabolic syndrome through a high-fat diet and initiated periodontal disease with an injection of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans lipopolysaccharide. The mice with metabolic syndrome experienced a high incidence of alveolar bone loss and inflammation. By analyzing the gene expression in the subjects’ periodontal tissue, the researchers traced these effects back to the high-fat diet and the presence of lipopolysaccharides—the combination of which stimulated the expression of cytokines known to promote both conditions.

Analysis of the data demonstrated that metabolic syndrome is closely associated with an increased risk of periodontal inflammation and alveolar bone loss. The effects of metabolic syndrome on periodontal health status, the authors report, are influenced by numerous factors—with palmitic, a saturated fatty acid, pinpointed as a potential key influencer in this relationship.

Hygiene Connection E-Newsletter

January 2015