Does periodontal care improve glycemic control?
Jones JA ; Miller DR ; Wehler CJ ; Rich SE ; Krall-Kaye EA ; McCoy LC ; Christiansen CL ; Rothendler JA ; Garcia RI VA Center for Health Quality, Outcomes and Economic Research, Bedford, MA, USA. judjones@bu.edu OBJECTIVES: Report results of a randomized-clinical trial of the efficacy of periodontal care in the improvement of glycemic control in 165 veterans with poorly controlled diabetes over 4 months. METHODS: Outcomes were change in Haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) in the Early Treatment versus untreated (Usual Care) groups and percent of participants with decreases in HbA1c. Analyses included simple/multiple variable linear/logistic regressions, adjusted for baseline HbA1c, age, and duration of diabetes. RESULTS: Unadjusted analyses showed no differences between groups. After adjustment for baseline HbA1c, age, and diabetes duration, the mean absolute HbA1c change in the Early Treatment group was -0.65% versus -0.51% in the Usual Care group (p=0.47). Adjusted odds for improvement by 0.5% i
