Cardiovascular health, periodontitis prevalence in diabetes

Life’s Essential 8 scores could be correlated with the occurrence of periodontitis in patients with diabetes.

In a study published in The Journal of the American Dental Association, investigators used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey database to examine the relationship between Life’s Essential 8 scores and periodontitis among 1,164 patients with diabetes. Life’s Essential 8 are the key measures for improving and maintaining cardiovascular health, as defined by the American Heart Association.

After adjusting for sociodemographic factors and health behaviors, the investigators found that the scores were negatively associated with periodontitis prevalence. For instance, the patients whose Life’s Essential 8 scores were highest had a 64% reduced likelihood of developing periodontitis compared with those whose scores were lowest.

The findings revealed an association between cardiovascular health and periodontitis, suggesting that both efforts to improve cardiovascular and oral well-being could be effective in managing diabetes.

Read more: JADA

The article presented here is intended to inform you about the broader media perspective on dentistry, regardless of its alignment with the ADA's stance. It is important to note that publication of an article does not imply the ADA's endorsement, agreement, or promotion of its content.