title: Association between serum calcium and periodontal disease progression in non-institutionalized elderly.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the effect of baseline serum calcium on the progression of periodontal disease in non-institutionalized elderly.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Although a few studies have found some evidence of the role played by dietary calcium in periodontal disease process, there is a paucity of information pertinent to longitudinal assessment of serum calcium-periodontal relationships.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinical attachment levels of 266 Japanese subjects aged 70 years were recorded at baseline and annually for six consecutive years. Progression of periodontal disease (PPD) was defined as the number of teeth that showed additional attachment loss of > or =3 mm during the 6 years. The number of PPD was calculated for each subject and categorised into four levels, namely, PPD(0), PPD(1), PPD(2) and PPD(3) where the number of teeth with additional attachment loss ranged from 0, 1-10, 11-20 and >20 respectively. The levels of serum calcium, albumin, random blood sugar, immunoglobulin (IgG, IgA and IgM), gender, smoking habits, education, gingival bleeding and the number of teeth present were obtained at baseline.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum calcium, IgA, smoking, gingival bleeding and teeth present were associated with PPD at p < or = 0.10 and were included in a multinomial logistic regression analysis. Serum calcium was the only variable that was significantly associated with PPD with relative risks of 100 at PPD(1) and PPD(2), respectively, and 1000 at PPD(3).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serum calcium may be considered a risk factor for periodontal disease progression in non-institutionalized elderly.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Dental Health, Faculty of Dental Sciences, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. najitha@pdn.ac.lk
authors.forename: Najith
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Amarasena
authors.forename: Akihiro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yoshihara
authors.forename: Toshinobu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hirotomi
authors.forename: Naoko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Takano
authors.forename: Hideo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Miyazaki
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D002118:Calcium / Q000097:blood*; D018450:Disease Progression; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005884:Gingival Hemorrhage / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000097:blood; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D017622:Periodontal Attachment Loss / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology; D010510:Periodontal Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology; D010514:Periodontal Pocket / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000032:analysis; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000097:blood; D016388:Tooth Loss / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D012709:Serum Albumin; D002118:Calcium