Prevalence of comorbidities in periodontitis patients compared with the general Austrian population

Background: The majority of patients with periodontitis present with comorbidities, however only little is known on prevalence of these comorbidities in comparison with the general population. This study aims to analyze the prevalence and impact of comorbidities in patients with periodontitis in Austria. Methods: Prevalence of comorbidities was evaluated in 1,199 patients with periodontitis (median age: 49, range: 14 to 83 years). These data were compared with a randomly selected age- and sex-matched cohort of the Austrian population by an unconditional logistic regression model. Results: Comorbidities were found in 821 of 1,199 (68.5%) patients. Allergies had the highest prevalence (29.2%), followed by hypertension (19.4%), musculoskeletal (11.2%), and endocrine disorders (9.7%). Chronic pulmonary disorders (no influenza/pneumonia) were associated with a higher approximal plaque index (72% versus 63%, P = 0.02). No association between characteristics of periodontitis and comorbidities was observed. Prevalence of allergies (29.2% versus 22.9%) and pulmonary disorders (8.5% versus 4.3%) was significantly higher in periodontitis patients compared with the Austrian population (P < 0.001), whereas asthma (1.5% versus 5.6%), cardiovascular disorders (1.8% versus 10.5%), depression (7.1% versus 10.4%), headache (1.3% versus 20%), hyperlipidemia (6.4% versus 14.8%), hypertension (14.2% versus 24.5%), musculoskeletal disorders (11.2% versus 41.7%), and osteoporosis (2.8% versus 5.1%) were found less frequently (P < 0.001). No differences were observed for cancer, diabetes mellitus, gastrointestinal disorders, or psychiatric disorders (P = 0.95, P = 0.76, P = 0.68, P = 0.23, respectively). Conclusion: In Austria, the majority of patients with periodontitis present with comorbidities, and the adjusted prevalence differs significantly from the general population.