How sex affects gum disease and type 2 diabetes, with a patient-focused tool
Official title: Sex influences on periodontal disease and diabetes: A population science approach, with software
Funded at Virginia Commonwealth University · NIH-11160773 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will create easy-to-use summaries and software showing how being male or female relates to gum disease in U.S. adults, including people with type 2 diabetes.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Virginia Commonwealth University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Richmond, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2022 |
| Project end | August 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $482,745 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DE031134-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11160773 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults aged 21 and older who have natural teeth and who have, or are at risk for, type 2 diabetes are the main group this work focuses on.
✕Less likely to help
People without natural teeth, children, or those with conditions outside adult-onset diabetes and related cardiovascular risk are unlikely to gain direct benefit from this project's results.
What this research studies
If you are an adult with natural teeth, this project looks at large U.S. health surveys (like NHANES) and a large dental database to find patterns in gum disease and how those patterns differ between men and women, including people with type 2 diabetes. The team will analyze data from roughly 11,700 dentate adults and apply advanced, but clinically focused, statistical methods to produce a single, interpretable risk index. They will build software to help clinicians and patients prioritize oral health visits based on sex and multi-condition risk profiles. The emphasis is on creating nationally representative, clinically useful summaries rather than testing a new medical treatment.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could help dentists and doctors identify people at higher risk for gum disease and guide who should be seen sooner, especially when diabetes and sex influence risk.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has linked gum disease and diabetes, but producing a national, sex-specific risk index and practical prioritization software is a newer and less-tested approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Virginia Commonwealth University
Richmond, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Bandyopadhyay, Dipankar — Virginia Commonwealth University
- Study coordinator: Bandyopadhyay, Dipankar
Related research
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.