Periodontitis and Subsequent Risk of Cataract: Results From Real-World Practice

Abstract

BackgroundPeriodontitis can lead to systemic inflammation and oxidative stress, contributing to the development of various diseases. Periodontitis could also be associated with several ocular diseases.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective population-based cohort study using the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan to evaluate the risk of cataract in people with and without periodontitis. We established a periodontitis cohort and a non-periodontitis cohort, which included 359,254 individuals between 2000 and 2012. Age, gender, and enrolled year were matched. All participants were monitored until the end of 2013. Cox proportional hazard models were applied to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and confidence intervals (CIs).ResultsPatients with periodontitis had a significantly higher risk to develop cataract than those without periodontitis [10.7 vs. 7.91 per 1,000 person-years, crude HR = 1.35 (95% CI = 1.32–1.39), and adjusted HR = 1.33 (95% CI = 1.30–1.36)]. The significant levels remained the same after stratifying by age, gender, presence of comorbidity, and use of corticosteroid. In addition, we found that diabetes mellitus and hyperlipidemia had a synergistic effect in the interaction of periodontitis and cataract development.ConclusionPatients with periodontitis have a higher risk of cataract development than those without periodontitis. Such patients may request frequent ocular health check-up. Further studies should be performed to confirm the association and to understand the mechanisms.

Better oral hygiene is associated with a reduced risk of cataract: A nationwide cohort study

“…Moreover, limited evidence supports the effect of periodontitis or oral hygiene on cataract occurrence. In a retrospective study that evaluated the risk for cataract in subjects with and without periodontitis by referring to the national health insurance research database of Taiwan, subjects with periodontitis have a higher risk for cataract development than those without periodontitis ( 29 ). Considering these previous and our research results, our findings were meaningful because they showed that tooth loss, frequent tooth brushing, and dental scaling were associated with the risk of cataract occurrence.…”

Salivary Exosomes in Health and Disease: Future Prospects in the Eye

“…Periodontitis is an inflammation of gingival tissue that is characterized by microbial dysbiosis in the oral cavity and a subsequent loss of periodontal ligament attachment and alveolar bone [ 51 , 66 ]. Due to the shared risk factors between periodontitis and various ocular diseases, periodontitis has been shown to be correlated with an increased risk of developing primary open-angle glaucoma [ 67 ], cataracts [ 68 , 69 ], scleritis [ 70 ], and age-related macular degeneration [ 71 , 72 ]. Non-SEs have exhibited both pro-inflammatory and immunoprotective effects in periodontitis [ 73 , 74 ].…”

Role of oxidative stress in the relationship between periodontitis and systemic diseases

“…Periodontitis causes systemic inflammation and oxidative stress, which can lead to a number of diseases ( Kurek-Gorecka et al, 2022 ; Xu et al, 2022 ; Yeh et al, 2022 ). Bacteria in inflamed gingival tissue and virulence factors are capable of entering the bloodstream to induce systemic inflammatory response, thus influencing the pathological process of many diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, as well as liver injury.…”