Periodontal disease might be associated even with impaired fasting glucose

Objective To determine whether there is an association between fasting plasma glucose level and periodontal condition in a non-diabetic male population.Methods Data of periodic medical examinations of 815 non-diabetic male adults (mean age 38.1 ± 7.0 years) were analysed. Blood samples were drawn from each subject following a 14-hour fast. The distance between the cement-enamel-junction to alveolar bone crest was measured at inter-proximal sites on two standardised posterior bitewing radiographs.Results Higher prevalence of alveolar bone loss was found among individuals with a fasting glucose level of ≥ 100 mg/dL than among individuals with <100 mg/dL (p = 0.032) and among individuals with BMI ≥25 than among individuals with BMI ≤25 (p = 0.025). Associations were found between bone loss prevalence and serum triglyceride levels of ≥ 200mg/dL, total cholesterol level of ≥ 200mg/dL and LDL-cholesterol level of ≥ 130mg/dL (p = 0.010, p ≤0.001, p = 0.009, respectively).Conclusions In the studied non-diabetic adult population, periodontal disease was associated with impaired glucose level. Periodontal disease could serve as a predictor for future diabetes mellitus, or play a possible role in the glucose imbalance and diabetes mellitus development.