Association Between Asthma and Periodontitis: Results From the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

Background: The aim of this study is to examine the association between asthma and periodontitis in a representative sample of Korean adults from the Sixth Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) in 2014. Methods: This study conducts a cross-sectional evaluation using 2014 KNHANES data to describe the association between current asthma condition and chronic periodontitis while adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics and lifestyle factors. Presence of periodontitis is evaluated by community periodontal index defined by the World Health Organization, and current asthma condition is defined as "currently suffering from asthma condition.'' Results: The study population comprises a total of 5,976 patients aged 19 years and older, representing 40.7 million Koreans. A multivariable logistic regression analysis with weighted observations reveals patients with current asthma condition are approximate to 5 times more likely to be associated with periodontitis (adjusted odds ratio [ OR]: 5.36; 95% confidence interval [ 95% CI]: 1.27 to 22.68). In addition, 83% of patients who regularly receive scheduled antiasthmatic medications are less likely to have a diagnosis of periodontitis than individuals who do not receive medication regularly (adjusted OR: 0.17; 95% CI: 0.05 to 0.57). However, the association is not significant if treatment with antiasthmatic medication is delivered on an "as-needed'' basis (adjusted OR: 1.80; 95% CI: 0.87 to 3.74). Conclusions: Findings from the current study show a positive association between periodontitis and current asthma condition. In addition, patients taking scheduled antiasthmatic medications are less likely to be diagnosed with periodontitis. Due to limitations of study design and available data from the national survey, well-designed follow-up studies are needed to confirm these findings.