A Study on the Relationship between Reflux Esophagitis and Periodontitis.

Objective Metabolic syndrome and dental erosion have been demonstrated to correlate with gastroesophageal acid reflux disease (GERD), while periodontitis has been reported to have a positive relationship with metabolic syndrome. However, no correlation between periodontitis and GERD has yet been reported. We therefore investigated the relationship between periodontitis and GERD. Methods The subjects consisted of 280 individuals who visited the Health Center for a detailed medical checkup examination. Each underwent upper endoscopy and periodontitis examinations, with the latter performed by measuring the concentrations of lactate dehydrogenase and hemoglobin in saliva. The subjects were divided into those with positive and negative periodontitis findings, and the prevalence rates of endoscopically proven reflux esophagitis, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and hyperglycemia were compared. Results The number of subjects positive for periodontitis was 93, while 187 had negative findings. The prevalence of reflux esophagitis was not different between the positive and negative groups (8.6% vs. 8.0%). In addition, a multiple logistic regression analysis did not identify a positive relationship between the presence of periodontitis and reflux esophagitis. On the other hand, dyslipidemia and hypertension were more frequently observed in the subjects that were positive for periodontitis. Conclusion We did not find an association between periodontitis and reflux esophagitis in the present study. On the other hand, the presence of periodontitis was found to correlate with hypertension and dyslipidemia.