Association between metabolic syndrome and periodontitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Several epidemiological studies have reported an association between metabolicsyndrome (MetS) and periodontal diseases (PDs). The aim of this systematic review was to investigatethe existence and magnitude of this association.Materials and Methods: A systematic search of the literature was conducted looking for casecontrol,cross-sectional, cohort studies and population surveys including patients with measures ofMetS and PD. Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE, LILACS, and Cochrane library databases were used for thesearch by 2 independent reviewers. A meta-analysis was conducted to investigate the associationfor coexistence of MetS and PD.Results: A total of 20 studies were included in the review, from an initial search of 3486 titles. Only 1study reported longitudinal data on the onset of MetS components in association with periodontalmeasures. However, several studies investigated coexistence. A random effects meta-analysis showedthat the presence of MetS is associated with the presence of periodontitis in a total of 36 337 subjects(odds ratio 1.71;95%confidence interval 1.42 to 2.03).Whenonly studies with “secure” diagnoseswereincluded (n=16 405), themagnitudeof association increased (odds ratio=2.09;95%confidenceinterval = 1.28 to 3.44). Moderate heterogeneity was detected (I2 =53.6%; P = .004).Conclusions: This review presents clear evidence for an association between MetS and periodontitis.The direction of the association and factors influencing it should be investigated by longitudinaland treatment studies. Periodontal diagnostic procedures should be routinely carried outin MetS patients