The Relationship between Pulse Pressure and Periodontal Disease in Korean Populations with or without Hypertension

Aims: This study evaluated the relationship between pulse pressure (PP) and periodontal disease in Korean adults with or without hypertension (classified as HTN and non-HTN, respectively). Methods: Data on 3496 adults (≥20 years) were obtained from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2015). We classified those with HTN as SBP ≥ 140 mmHg, DBP ≥ 90 mmHg, or current use of anti-hypertensive medications. Results: There were a few key findings: when logistic regression analysis was applied for periodontal disease (community periodontal index score ≥ 3), the odds ratios (OR) were significantly higher in the high PP (PP > 60 mmHg) than in the normal PP (PP ≤ 60 mmHg) in the HTN group (OR, 2.131; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.579–2.876). However, periodontal disease was not associated with high PP in the non-HTN group and was not significant (OR, 0.866; 95% CI, 0.494–1.518). Conclusions: In Korean adults, periodontal disease was positively associated with PP in the HTN group but not in the non-HTN group.