Periodontitis associated with obesity although the magnitude of association unclear

Abstract

Data sourcesThe search strategy included both electronic and hand searches up to December 2009. The electronic search included Ovid, MEDLINE, EMBASE, LILACS and SIGLE and looked for grey literature.Study selectionAll study designs that included measures of periodontitis and body composition were eligible for inclusion, with the exception of case studies and case series.Data extraction and synthesisData were extracted independently by two reviewers. Three meta-analyses were performed comparing obese and non-obese, overweight and non-overweight and overweight/obese combined compared with non-overweight/obese in relation to the associated odds of periodontitis.ResultsThirty-three studies were included in the systematic review. Nineteen studies provided sufficient information for inclusion in meta-analyses. Meta-analyses indicated statistically significant associations between periodontitis and body mass index (BMI) category obese OR 1.81 (1.42, 2.30), overweight OR 1.27 (1.06, 1.51) and obese and overweight combined OR 2.31 (1.40, 3.26).ConclusionsThese results support an association between BMI overweight and obesity and periodontitis, although the magnitude is unclear. There is insufficient evidence to provide clinicians with guidelines on the clinical management of periodontitis in overweight and obese patients.