Association between indices of clinically-defined periodontitis and self-reported history of systemic medical conditions

Aim: The aim of the current research was to investigate whether possible associations exist between indices of clinically-defined periodontitis and several systemic medical conditions in outpatients referred to a special hospital clinic. Methods: The study sample consisted of 3360 outpatients aged 45-65 years. Data were collected by means of an oral clinical examination and a self-administered questionnaire. Statistical analysis of the questionnaire items was done with Fisher's exact test and the logistic regression model to assess possible associations between systemic medical conditions as independent variables, and the relative frequency of periodontal pockets >= 5 mm and clinical attachment loss (CAL) of >= 6 mm as dependent variables. Results: The depth of periodontal pockets was significantly associated with male sex, the presence of vascular disease, hypertension, stroke, heart attack, diabetes mellitus, other endocrine diseases, thyroid disease, respiratory allergies, and rheumatoid arthritis. CAL was significantly associated with the mentioned conditions, and also infective endocarditis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, but not other endocrine and thyroid disease. Conclusions: The findings confirm the results from previous investigations in which a number of systemic medical conditions were significantly associated with probing pocket depth and/or CAL.