Relationship between alcohol consumption and periodontal tissue condition in community-dwelling elderly Japanese

ObjectivesTo examine the associations among alcohol consumption level, dietary intake and other lifestyle factors, and periodontal condition, in community-dwelling elderly Japanese of a specific age. BackgroundThe relationship between alcohol consumption level and periodontitis is a controversial issue. MethodsParticipants were 438 dentate elders aged 73years from a larger cohort survey of elders in Niigata City, Japan. Data collected from oral examination of each participant, including number of the existing teeth, mean probing pocket depth and mean clinical attachment level (CAL) were used for the analyses. A semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire and a lifestyle habit questionnaire were used to assess food and alcohol consumption, smoking experience, frequency of tooth brushing, interdental brush use, and visits to a dental clinic during the previous year. Blood glucose control was assessed by the glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) level. Body mass index was calculated from height and weight measurements. The relationships between each variable and the individual mean CAL were analysed by univariate and multivariate analyses. ResultsAccording to logistic regression analysis, the mean CAL was significantly associated with the number of existing teeth (odds ratio [OR]=0.90; P<.001), being a heavy drinker (OR=2.44; P<.05), and smoking experience (OR=2.37; P<.01). ConclusionThis study showed that increased mean CAL was significantly associatedwith heavy drinking in community-dwelling elderly Japanese (aged 73years) compared with non-drinking. Our results provide new evidence that high alcohol consumption is associated with an increased risk of periodontal disease and its progression.