Periodontitis and Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, a population-based cohort investigation in the Study of Health in Pomerania

J Clin Periodontol. 2017 Nov;44(11):1077-1087. doi: 10.1111/jcpe.12800. Epub 2017 Sep 22.

Abstract

Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) affects 20%-30% of adults with risk factors like obesity and insulin resistance putatively acting through chronic low-grade inflammation. Because periodontitis elicits low-grade inflammation, we hypothesized that it could contribute to NAFLD occurrence.

Objective: To investigate epidemiologic associations between periodontitis and the incidence of NAFLD among 2,623 participants of the Study of Health in Pomerania.

Methods: Periodontitis at baseline was defined as the percentage of sites (0%, <30%, ≥30%) with (i) clinical attachment level (CAL) ≥3 mm; (ii) probing pocket depth (PD) ≥4 mm. Incident NAFLD was defined as a significant increase in liver echogenicity on ultrasound relative to the kidneys, with the diaphragm indistinct or the echogenic walls of the portal veins invisible.

Results: After a median 7.7 years of follow-up, 605 incident NAFLD cases occurred at a rate of 32.5 cases per 1,000 person-years. Relative to participants without CAL ≥3 mm, NAFLD incidence was elevated slightly in participants with <30% of sites affected and moderately in participants with ≥30% of sites affected (multivariable-adjusted incidence rate ratio = 1.28, 95% CI, 0.84, 1.95 and 1.60, 95% CI, 1.05-2.43), respectively. A similar dose-response relationship was not observed for PD.

Conclusion: History of periodontitis may be a risk factor for NAFLD.

Keywords: epidemiologic; hepatic steatosis; oral-systemic disease; periodontal disease; population health; prospective cohort.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Cohort Studies
  • Female
  • Germany / epidemiology
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease / epidemiology
  • Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease / etiology*
  • Periodontal Pocket / complications
  • Periodontal Pocket / epidemiology
  • Periodontitis / complications*
  • Periodontitis / epidemiology
  • Risk Factors
  • Young Adult