Obesity has become a worldwide health burden in the last two decades.
Obesity has been associated with increased comorbidities, such as
coronary artery disease, diabetes, and destructive
periodontal disease.
Obesity is also part of a group of risk factors occurring together in an individual, which is referred to as
metabolic syndrome. Clinical studies have shown higher risk for destructive
periodontal disease in
obesity and
metabolic syndrome. However, the role of
obesity and
metabolic syndrome in the onset and development of destructive
periodontal disease has not yet been fully understood. In this review, we discuss a working model, which focuses on interorgan
inflammation as a common etiological factor for destructive
periodontal disease associated with
obesity and
metabolic syndrome. Specifically, we suggest that elevated levels of
tumor necrosis factor- α (TNF- α ) or
interleukin 6 (IL-6)--both
adipokines and known risk factors for destructive
periodontal disease--in
obesity and
metabolic syndrome contribute to the onset and development of destructive
periodontal disease. The connections between destructive
periodontal disease and systemic conditions, such as
obesity or
metabolic syndrome, are complex and potentially multidirectional. This review largely focuses on TNF- α and
IL-6, inflammatory mediators, as potential common risk factors and does not exclude other
biological mechanisms.