Association of Diet and Periodontal Disease in Immunocompromised Patients: An Observational Study

Aim and background: Periodontal health is influenced by immune competence and modifiable lifestyle factors, such as diet.Immunocompromised oncology patients are susceptible to oral inflammation and tissue breakdown.This study evaluated whether caloric intake patterns are associated with periodontal parameters in immunocompromised individuals.Materials and methods: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 50 oncology patients (aged 45-60 years) at KS Hegde Hospital, Mangaluru.Participants were categorized into Group A [high-calorie diet (HCD); n = 6] and Group B [low-calorie diet (LCD); n = 44] using a diet recall chart, food frequency questionnaire, and Indian Council of Medical Research -National Institute of Nutrition (ICMR-NIN) food exchange list over one week.Demographic details and body mass index (BMI) were recorded.Periodontal health was evaluated using the community periodontal index (CPI), clinical attachment loss (CAL), bleeding on probing (BOP), and the simplified oral hygiene index (OHI-S).Chi-square tests and independent t-tests were used for the statistical analysis, with a significance level of p < 0.05.Results: Of the 50 patients, 42% were female, and 58% were male.They had mild to moderate periodontal involvement, with a CAL of 1 mm (44%) and a probing depth (PD) of 2 mm (52%).Comparative analysis revealed no significant differences between dietary groups in PD (χ 2 = 0.879, p = 0.928), attachment loss (χ 2 = 1.532, p = 0.821), BOP (χ 2 = 0.778, p = 0.378), or OHI-S scores (t = 1.787, p = 0.08).Mean dietary scores confirmed a significantly higher caloric intake in the high-calorie group (t = 5.587, p < 0.001).Conclusion: Although no statistically significant correlation was found, confounding influences of systemic disease and immune suppression may mask dietary effects.Larger longitudinal studies are required to clarify the role of diet in periodontal health.Clinical significance: During treatment and recovery, balanced nutrition and oral hygiene support may have a greater impact than caloric intake alone in predicting periodontal outcomes.