How Does Obesity Affect Periodontal Disease?
Overweight and obese adults have long been considered to be at high risk for many chronic inflammatory disease and conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and arthritis. Likewise, obesity appears to be an independent risk factor for the development of periodontal disease even after controlling other risk factors such as smoking, age and other medical problems. A recent study (Khader YS, et al.J Clin Periodontol 2009;36(1):18-24) showed that overweight individuals had double the incidence of periodontitis while obese individuals had triple the incidence. Fat cells were once thought of as having limited function energy storage. It is now known that fat cells produce many chemical signals and hormones. Many of these substances are thought to increase overall inflammation in the body. This may lead to decreased immune status, which increases susceptibly to periodontal disease. The inflammation may also decrease blood flow to the gums and cause disease progression. It is thought
