With type 2 diabetes patients being shown to have 3.8 times more bone loss and 2.8 times more clinical attachment loss than non-diabetic individuals. With patients with poorly controlled diabetes having a higher risk of alveolar bone loss. Chronic periodontitis can also be a metabolic stressor influencing diabetes control, influencing insulin resistance or becoming a source of inflammatory marker secretion which may strengthen the amount of advanced glycation end product (AGE) mediated cytokine response. Monocytic hyperresponsiveness to bacterial antigen is a biological mechanism that links periodontal disease and diabetes. Increased production of proinflammatory cytokines and mediators cause tissue destruction, attachment loss as well as bone loss causing delayed wound healing. Cardiovascular Disease
Chronic periodontitis is a marker for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Mechanisms associated with cardiovascular risk are that chronic periodontitis increases inflammatory mediator levels and this may contribute to the onset of CVD, while treatment of chronic periodontitis reduces systemic levels of inflammatory mediators. Certain bacteria found in the periodontal pockets have also been associated to cause atheromatous plaques. Treatment protocol for chronic periodontitis with CVD does not need to be modified as normal periodontal treatment techniques are seen to be effective in CVD patients with additional supportive therapy. Costs of treatment
"Costs for tooth retention via supportive periodontal therapy are relatively low compared with alternatives (e.g. implants or bridgework) even in periodontally impaired teeth.". However, health outcomes of periodontal therapy are not directly comparable with those from implants or bridgework.
Diagnosis
Diagnosis is often based on direct observation of blood in the stool or vomit. Although fecal occult blood testing has been used in an emergency setting, this use is not recommended as the test has only been validated for colon cancer screening. Differentiating between upper and lower bleeding in some cases can be difficult. The severity of an upper GI bleed can be judged based on the Blatchford score or Rockall score. The Rockall score is the more accurate of the two. As of 2008 there is no scoring system useful for lower GI bleeds. Clinical
Gastric aspiration and or lavage, where a tube is inserted into the stomach via the nose in an attempt to determine if there is blood in the stomach, if negative does not rule out an upper GI bleed but if positive is useful for ruling one in. Clots in the stool indicate a lower GI source while melana stools an upper one. Laboratory testing
Recommended laboratory blood testing includes: cross-matching blood, hemoglobin, hematocrit, platelets, coagulation time, and electrolytes. If the ratio of blood urea nitrogen to creatinine is greater than 30 the source is more likely from the upper GI tract. Imaging
A CT angiography is useful for determining the exact location of the bleeding within the gastrointestinal tract. Nuclear scintigraphy is a sensitive test for detecting occult gastrointestinal bleeding when direct imaging with upper and lower endoscopies are negative. Direct angiography allows for embolization of a bleeding source, but requires a bleeding rate faster than 1mL/minute.