Researchers from University at Buffalo found that obesity is a significant predictor for periodontal disease, regardless of age, gender, race, ethnicity, and smoking. The study results, printed in a recent supplement to the Journal of Periodontology, suggests that insulin resistance mediates the relationship between obesity and periodontal disease. It was found that the severity of periodontal attachment loss increased proportionally with increasing insulin resistance. In addition, the number of teeth lost increased significantly with increasing levels of insulin resistance.

Individuals in the highest insulin resistance category lost 1.1 more teeth compared to individuals in the lowest category. 'People who have a higher body mass index produce cytokines (hormone-like proteins), that lead to systemic inflammation and insulin resistance,' said Robert J. Genco, vice provost at the University at Buffalo and editor of the Journal of Periodontology. 'We propose that chronic stimulation and secretion of proinflammatory cytokines associated with periodontal infection also occurs, contributing to insulin resistance, which may further predispose to diabetes mellitus.' Genco and his research team recently showed that diabetics with periodontal disease may have greater mortality from diabetic complications such as cardiovascular disease and kidney complications than diabetics with little or no periodontal disease.