High Waist Circumference Obesity has a Greater Association with Periodontitis among a Chinese Population

Recent studies have reported a relationship between obesity and periodontitis, but few have investigated this association in China. This present study probes the relationship between obesity and periodontitis within a population of China. A total of 582 Chinese subjects were analyzed with fifty-three excluded. All participants underwent a periodontal assessment, anthropometric measurements and completed a questionnaire. Periodontal status was evaluated with the Community Periodontal Index. Body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) were used as measures of overall body fat and upper body fat, respectively. Data from young and elderly subjects were analyzed separately. Though there was no association between BMI and periodontitis, the risk for periodontitis was increased by 5.1% per 1-cm increase in WC (OR=1.051, 95%CI: 1.025-1.079, P<0.05). Within this population in China, abdominal obesity was significantly associated with an increased prevalence, severity, and extent of periodontitis, suggesting that individuals with high WC circumference obesity should pay more attention to their periodontal health.