Role of insulin sensitivity and beta cell function in the development of periodontal disease in adults without diabetes

Abstract

The goal of this study was to explore whether insulin resistance and beta cell function are related to periodontal pocket formation, indicative of infectious periodontal disease in non-smoking adults without manifest diabetes. We analysed data from a Health 2000 Survey consisting of dentate subjects without any indication of diabetes, aged between 30 and 64, who had never smoked and who had participated in the Follow-up Study on Finnish Adults' Oral Health about 4years later (n=157). The Homeostasis Model Assessment Indices were used to measure insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and β-cell function (HOMA-B). The development of periodontal disease was measured by means of the incidence of deepened periodontal pockets (4mm deep or deeper) during the follow-up period. Incidence rate ratios (IRR) were estimated using Poisson regression models. Both HOMA-IR and HOMA-B indices were associated with periodontal pocket formation during the 4-year follow-up. The results of this follow-up study suggest that impaired glucose metabolism measured as insulin resistance and altered beta cell function predict the breakdown of periodontal tissues. Further studies about their role in the pathogenesis of periodontal diseases are needed.