Sakurai SI, et al. - Using a longitudinal analysis, researchers explored the connections between periodontal conditions and internal changes in metabolic syndrome (MetS) components. They included and reviewed 390 people who had medical and dental checkups in 2014 and 2016. Investigators found that the positive number of MetS components decreased in 62 people and increased in 104 cases. They observed sex, alcohol intake, and the mediation of glycemia as significant determining factors for MetS in a multivariate analysis. In individuals with persistent or progressive periodontitis, the number of MetS components was higher than in those with no/improved periodontitis. Improvements in periodontitis, including hypertension and hyperglycemia, had a substantial beneficial effect on MetS components, but an adverse effect on hypertension.