The Buffalo OsteoPerio Studies: Summary of our findings and the unique contributions of Robert J. Genco, DDS, PhD.

Purpose: Robert ("Bob") Genco was a member of the research team that established the Buffalo Osteoporosis and Periodontal Disease (OsteoPerio) study. Here we detail the scientific discoveries emanating from this enduring collaboration. Study cohorts: OsteoPerio is ancillary to the Women's Health Initiative Observational Study (WHI-OS). WHI-OS is a longitudinal study of 93,000 postmenopausal women aged 50-79 enrolled at 40 U.S. centers (enrolled 1993-1998). OsteoPerio enrolled 1342 women 3 years later (1997-2001) from the Buffalo WHI-OS participants to study the association of osteoporosis and periodontal disease. OsteoPerio has 5-year (N=1026) and 17-year (N=518) follow-up examinations. Participants: In addition to information on health status from the WHI-OS, OsteoPerio further included comprehensive oral examinations assessing probing pocket depth, clinical attachment loss, gingival bleeding, alveolar crestal height, and DMFT. Systemic bone density (measured by DXA), blood, saliva and plaque also were collected at all three visits. Summary: Findings from these studies are summarized here.