Periodontitis in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: A nation-wide study of 1990 patients

Background The aim of this study was to examine the association between systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and periodontitis in Norway during a 10-year period from 2008 through 2017. Methods In this population-based study, 1990 patients were included in the SLE-cohort based on diagnostic codes registered in the Norwegian Patient Registry. The control group (n = 170,332) comprised patients registered with diagnostic codes for non-osteoporotic fractures or hip or knee replacement because of osteoarthritis. The outcome was periodontitis, defined by procedure codes registered in the Control and Payment of Health Refunds database. Logistic regression analyses were performed to estimate odds ratio for periodontitis in patients versus controls adjusted for potential covariates. Results Periodontitis was significantly more common in SLE patients compared to controls (OR 1.78, 95% CI 1.47-2.14) and the difference was highest in SLE-patients 20 to 30 years of age (OR 3.24, 95% CI 1.23 - 8.52). The periodontitis rate in SLE patients was in the same range as for patients with diabetes mellitus type 2. Conclusions Patients with SLE had an almost doubled risk of periodontitis compared with the control population, and the difference was most accentuated in the young patients. These findings warrant an increased focus on dental health in SLE-patients.