Periodontal disease is associated with chronic kidney disease

NEW YORK (Reuters) Jan. 30 Periodontal disease and edentulism are independently associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD), according to a study in the January issue of the American Journal of Kidney Diseases.

"Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a public health problem that is undiagnosed in a significant number of those affected in the United States," Dr. Monica A. Fisher, of Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, and colleagues write.

In a cross-sectional study using data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, the team identified 12,947 adults at least 18 years of age with information for kidney function and at least one risk factor. In addition to periodontal status, other traditional and nontraditional risk factors studied included socioeconomic status, health status, health behavior, biomarker levels, anthropometric assessment, and health care utilization.

The main outcome was stages three and four CKD with moderate to severe decrease in kidney function (glomerular filtration rate, 15 to 59 mL/min per 1.73 m squared). The investigators used univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses to evaluate the associations between CKD and periodontal disease and other risk factors.

The prevalence of CKD was 3.6 percent. Overall, 6.0 percent of the population had periodontal disease, 10.5 percent were edentulous, 23.5 percent were hypertensive, and 36.4 percent were obese. After simultaneously adjusting for other risk factors, subjects with periodontal disease and those who were edentulous were nearly twice as likely to have CKD (adjusted odds ratios, 1.60 and 1.85, respectively).

"As more studies of CKD assess the role of periodontal disease, data will accumulate to support or refute the inclusion of periodontal therapy in preventive targeted approaches to impede the increasing numbers of individuals with CKD," Dr. Fisher and colleagues conclude. "Additional research is needed from prospective studies to help assess the causal inference and from intervention studies to assess a decrease in incidence, progression, and complications of CKD."

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