Obesity and periodontitis: systematic review and meta-analysis

The scope of this study was to conduct a systematic review of the studies on the association between obesity and periodontitis. The methods applied included a literature search strategy and selection of studies using inclusion and exclusion in accordance with the criteria for characteristics of the studies and meta-analysis. The research was conducted in the PubMed, Embase and Lilacs databases through 2010. Selected papers were on studies on humans investigating whether or not obesity is a risk factor for periodontitis. Of the 822 studies identified, 31 studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in this meta-analysis. The risk of periodontitis was associated with obesity (or had a tendency for this) in 25 studies, though it was not associated in 6 studies. The meta-analysis showed a significant association with obesity and periodontitis (OR = 1.30 [95% Confidence Interval (CI), 1.25 - 1.35]) and with mean Body Mass Index (BMI) and periodontal disease (mean difference = 2.75). Obesity was associated with periodontitis, however the risk factors that aggravate these diseases should be better clarified to elucidate the direction of this association. Working with paired samples and avoiding confusion factors may contribute to homogeneity between the studies.