Unraveling the Link Between Periodontal Disease and High Cholesterol: A Cross-Sectional Study

Objective: This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the association between high cholesterol levels and the prevalence of periodontal disease among patients in the United States, utilizing data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) conducted between 2017 and 2020. We hypothesize that patients with high cholesterol levels will have a high prevalence of periodontal disease. Methods: The study utilized a cross-sectional design, analyzing data from NHANES 2017-March 2020 pre-pandemic survey, a nationally representative survey. The sub-sample consisted of 7,042 participants aged 30 years and older who underwent the NHANES survey questionnaire. Information on high cholesterol levels and periodontal disease was obtained through self-reported data. Statistical analyses, using SAS 9.4 (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC), were performed to assess the association between high cholesterol levels and periodontal disease prevalence while controlling the potential confounding variables. Descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regression were used. Results: The study included a total of 7,042 participants. The mean age (SD) of the participants was 60.2 (13.7); 54% were females and 46% were males. Out of the total, 23% (1636) of the samples had periodontal disease and 52% (3669) of the participants had high cholesterol levels. Findings indicated a significant association between high cholesterol and periodontal disease (odds ratio, OR = 1.21, 95% confidence interval, CI = 1.06-1.40). Socioeconomic factors such as poverty and education, and other factors such as age, gender, race, smoking, physical activity, BMI, diabetes, hypertension, sugar intake, cholesterol intake, saturated fatty acids intake, and oral hygiene were identified as potential confounders. Conclusion: This large-scale cross-sectional study investigated the association between high cholesterol and periodontal disease while comprehensively controlling for potential confounding factors. After adjusting for the relevant confounders, we found a weak positive association between high cholesterol and periodontal disease. While these findings provide valuable insights into the interplay between systemic health and oral health, the cross-sectional nature of the study limits the establishment of causality.