Editorial
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Diabetes. Aug 15, 2024; 15(8): 1672-1676
Published online Aug 15, 2024. doi: 10.4239/wjd.v15.i8.1672
Periodontal disease: A silent factor in the development and progression of diabetic retinopathy
Sarah Monserrat Lomelí Martínez, Irán Cortés Trujillo, Melissa Martínez Nieto, Ana Esther Mercado González
Sarah Monserrat Lomelí Martínez, Irán Cortés Trujillo, Department of Medical and Life Sciences, Centro Universitario de la Ciénega, Universidad de Guadalajara, Ocotlán 47810, Mexico
Sarah Monserrat Lomelí Martínez, Master of Public Health, Department of Wellbeing and Sustainable, Centro Universitario del Norte, Universidad de Guadalajara, Colotlán 46200, Mexico
Melissa Martínez Nieto, Periodontics Program, Department of Integrated Dentistry Clinics, Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara 44340, Mexico
Ana Esther Mercado González, Antiguo Hospital Civil de Guadalajara “Fray Antonio Alcalde”, Guadalajara 44280, Mexico
Author contributions: Lomelí Martínez SM, Cortés Trujillo I, Martínez Nieto M, and Mercado González AE contributed equally to the preparation of this manuscript; Lomelí Martínez SM and Cortés Trujillo I conceptualized the study; Lomelí Martínez SM, Cortés Trujillo I, Martínez Nieto M, and Mercado González AE performed literature searches; Lomelí Martínez SM, Cortés Trujillo I, Martínez Nieto M, and Mercado González AE wrote the preliminary draft; Lomelí Martínez SM and Cortés Trujillo I critically reviewed and approved the manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest to disclose.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Sarah Monserrat Lomelí Martínez, Doctor, Academic Research, Associate Research Scientist, Department of Medical and Life Sciences, Centro Universitario de la Ciénega, Universidad de Guadalajara, 1115 Av Universidad, Col Lindavista, Ocotlán 47810, Mexico. sarah.lomeli@academicos.udg.mx
Received: March 30, 2024
Revised: May 10, 2024
Accepted: May 27, 2024
Published online: August 15, 2024
Processing time: 117 Days and 12.3 Hours
Abstract

The global increase in the prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and its complications presents significant challenges to public health. Recently, per-iodontal disease (PD) was recognized as a factor that is likely to influence the progression of T2DM and its complications due to its potential to exacerbate systemic inflammation and oxidative stress. In this editorial, we comment on the article published by Thazhe Poyil et al in the very recent issue of the World Journal of Diabetes in 2024, which investigated the correlation between PD and diabetic retinopathy (DR) in T2DM patients, with emphasis on the association between periodontal swollen surface area, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and lipoprotein (a). The findings by Thazhe Poyil et al are significant as they demonstrate a strong link between PD and DR in T2DM patients. This correlation highlights the importance of addressing periodontal health in diabetes management to potentially reduce the risk and severity of DR, a complication of diabetes. The integration of periodontal evaluation and treatment into diabetes care protocols may lead to improved glycemic control and better overall outcomes for T2DM patients . A few studies have established an interconnection between PD and diabetic complication, specifically DR, in T2DM patients, which we aim to highlight in this editorial. Emphasis was placed on the different mechanisms that suggest a bidirectional relationship between PD and T2DM, where the presence of periodontal inflammation negatively influenced glycemic control and contributed to the development and progression of DR through shared inflammatory and vascular mechanisms. This article highlights the importance of collaboration amongst diabetes specialists, ophthalmologists, periodontists, and public health professionals to advance the prevention, early detection, and treatment of PD and DR. This will improve the health and quality of life of T2DM patients. Moreover, the editorial highlights the need for further research on the specific molecular and immunological mechanisms that underlie the link between periodontitis and DR, with identification of common inflammatory biomarkers and signaling pathways. This is expected to facilitate effective direction of therapeutic objectives, thereby improving the management of diabetes and its complications through integrated care that incorporates oral health.

Keywords: Type 2 diabetes mellitus; Periodontal disease; Periodontitis; Diabetic retinopathy; Editorial

Core Tip: In this editorial, we commented on the observational study by Thazhe Poyil et al published in the recent issue of the World Journal of Diabetes in 2024, in which the correlation between periodontal disease (PD) and diabetic retinopathy (DR) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) was investigated. We discussed some of the most notable studies, with emphasis on the different mechanisms that suggest a bidirectional relationship between PD and T2DM, where the presence of periodontal inflammation negatively influenced glycemic control and contributed to the development and progression of DR through shared inflammatory and vascular mechanisms.