Periodontitis As A Risk Factor For Stroke: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis.

Abstract

This systematic review and meta-analysis investigate the association between periodontitis and stroke. This review followed the methods established by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. Searches were conducted in five databases and two sources of grey literature. After the selection of the articles, a risk of bias evaluation was performed. Three meta-analyzes were performed: Assessing the overall association between stroke and periodontitis in case-control studies; Ischemic stroke and periodontitis in case-control studies; The association between stroke and periodontitis in cohort studies. Heterogeneity was assessed using the I 2 index and the odds ratio was also calculated (p 2 =0%) and for ischemic stroke events in case-control studies (RR 2.72 [2.00, 3.71], p 2 = 4%). Periodontitis may represent a risk factor for stroke, especially in ischemic events. However, new studies with a robust design are necessary for a reliable conclusion.