BackgroundPeriodontal diseases (PD) have been increasingly associated with several systemic conditions such as cardiovascular disease (CVD), diabetes mellitus (DM), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and Alzheimer's disease (AD). This study aimed to gain insight into patients’ awareness of the association between PD and systemic diseases.MethodsA survey was developed to analyze patient awareness of the association between PD and systemic diseases. Descriptive and categorical variables were summarized with counts and percentages. Chi‐squared tests were used to evaluate differences between variables. A linear logistical regression model was used to assess the simultaneous, independent association between each variable.ResultsData from 161 completed surveys were analyzed. The majority of the participants (61.49%) reported awareness of symptoms of PD, but only 36.36% identified all its major symptoms. Individuals reporting awareness of the association between PD and systemic diseases was 48.4%, 31.7%, 14.9%, and 9.9% for CVD, DM, RA, and AD, respectively. Patients aged ≥51 years and males were more aware of the association between PD and CVD. Increased awareness of an association between PD and DM was observed among patients who had a higher frequency of dental visits and those with a self‐reported history of DM.ConclusionsThis study provides insight that, even with the vast amount of scientific knowledge on the inter‐relationships that exist between PD and systemic diseases, most patients are still unaware of these associations. This research identified that improvement of health literacy surrounding PD, their symptoms, and their association with systemic diseases may be warranted.

中文翻译：

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在学术环境中，患者对牙周病和全身性疾病之间关联的认识


背景牙周病 （PD） 与心血管疾病 （CVD）、糖尿病 （DM）、类风湿性关节炎 （RA） 和阿尔茨海默病 （AD） 等几种全身性疾病越来越相关。本研究旨在深入了解患者对 PD 与全身性疾病之间关联的认识。方法制定了一项调查来分析患者对 PD 与全身性疾病之间相关性的认识。描述性和分类变量用计数和百分比进行总结。卡方检验用于评估变量之间的差异。线性 logistical 回归模型用于评估每个变量之间的同时独立关联。结果分析了 161 项已完成调查的数据。大多数参与者 （61.49%） 报告意识到 PD 症状，但只有 36.36% 的人确定了其所有主要症状。报告意识到 PD 与全身性疾病之间关联的个体分别为 CVD 、 DM 、 RA 和 AD 的 48.4% 、 31.7% 、 14.9% 和 9.9%。年龄≥ 51 岁的患者和男性更了解 PD 和 CVD 之间的关联。在看牙医频率较高的患者和自我报告有 DM 病史的患者中观察到对 PD 和 DM 之间关联的认识增加。结论这项研究提供了见解，即使对 PD 和全身性疾病之间存在的相互关系有大量的科学知识，大多数患者仍然没有意识到这些关联。这项研究确定，可能需要提高围绕 PD、其症状及其与全身性疾病关联的健康素养。