Periodontal disease and carotid atherosclerosis: A meta-analysis of 17, 330 participants. (15th January 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Zeng, Xian-Tao; Leng, Wei-Dong; Lam, Yat-Yin; Yan, Bryan P.; Wei, Xue-Mei; Weng, Hong; Kwong, Joey S.W.
• Is Part Of: International journal of cardiology. Volume 203(2016)
• Page Start: 1044
• Page End: 1051
• Publication Date: 2016-01-15
• Subjects: Periodontal disease -- Carotid atherosclerosis -- Carotid artery diseases -- Meta-analysis; Cardiology -- Periodicals; Electronic journals; 616.12
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijcard.2015.11.092
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0167-5273

Abstract

Abstract: Background and objectives: The association between periodontal disease and carotid atherosclerosis has been evaluated primarily in single-center studies, and whether periodontal disease is an independent risk factor of carotid atherosclerosis remains uncertain. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the association between periodontal disease and carotid atherosclerosis. Methods: We searched PubMed and Embase for relevant observational studies up to February 20, 2015. Two authors independently extracted data from included studies, and odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated for overall and subgroup meta-analyses. Statistical heterogeneity was assessed by the chi-squared test ( P < 0.1 for statistical significance) and quantified by the I 2 statistic. Data analysis was conducted using the Comprehensive Meta-Analysis (CMA) software. Results: Fifteen observational studies involving 17, 330 participants were included in the meta-analysis. The overall pooled result showed that periodontal disease was associated with carotid atherosclerosis (OR: 1.27, 95% CI: 1.14–1.41; P < 0.001) but statistical heterogeneity was substantial ( I 2 = 78.90%). Subgroup analysis of adjusted smoking and diabetes mellitus showed borderline significance (OR: 1.08; 95% CI: 1.00–1.18; P = 0.05). Sensitivity and cumulative analyses both indicated that our results were robust. Conclusions: Findings of our meta-analysis indicated that the presence of periodontal disease was associated with carotid atherosclerosis; however, further large-scale, well-conducted clinical studies are needed to explore the precise risk of developing carotid atherosclerosis in patients with periodontal disease.