Relationship between Generalized Aggressive Periodontitis and Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Case Control Study

Many recent studies have established the relationship between rheumatoid arthritis and chronic periodontitis. In this study we try to explore the relationship between rheumatoid arthritis and a more severe form of periodontitis, the generalized aggressive periodontitis. The data for this study was obtained from a case-control study consisting of 212 subjects. A total of 8 subjects who satisfied the criteria for generalized aggressive periodontitis were included in this study. Subjects having rheumatoid arthritis were found to be 3.33 times more likely to have generalized aggressive periodontitis than the healthy control group. Moreover the rheumatoid disease activity in subjects who had generalized aggressive periodontitis was found to be more severe than those without generalized aggressive periodontitis. The study shows a positive but not conclusive relationship between rheumatoid arthritis and generalized aggressive periodontitis.