Association of Alzheimer's disease and periodontitis - a systematic review and metaanalysis of evidence from observational studies

Abstract

The relationship between periodontitis (or periodontal disease) with Alzheimer's disease has been reported by various primary sources in the past decade, but not with a solid secondary research statement. A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted in accordance with the guidelines of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement and registered (Reference number: CRD42020185264) with PROSPERO (International prospective register for systematic reviews). A literature search was conducted on specific databases for suitable articles in English language. Out of 612 studies selected, 41 underwent full-text analysis; five studies were eligible for systematic review, and 3 for meta-analysis. Meta-analysis was performed with tests for sensitivity and statistical heterogeneity followed by calculation of summary effect measures in terms of odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). The results of this review showed a significant association between periodontitis and Alzheimer's disease in the metaanalysis [OR 1.67 (1.21-2.32)].