Are Adults Over 18 Years of Age with Anaemia More Likely to Develop Chronic Periodontitis Than Adults Without Anaemia? - A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: Periodontitis is a chronic disease affecting the supporting tissues of the teeth and exhibits bidirectional relation with systemic diseases. This study aims to determine the association between chronic periodontitis and erythrocyte functional measures: total red blood cells (RBCs), hemoglobin (Hb) concentration, mean corpuscular volume (MCV), and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) by systematic review and meta-analysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A systematic search of the electronic databases PUBMED, OVID, Embase, Web on Science, and Google Scholar was undertaken from inception to July 2022. English language studies that evaluated the erythrocyte functional measures in periodontitis and health were selected. Other review reports, letters/opinion articles, studies without a definition of periodontitis, and the concomitant presence of systemic conditions (diabetes, kidney disease, cancer) were excluded. Two reviewers determined full-text eligibility in a blinded process. Meta-Essentials software was used to generate forest plots and to determine heterogeneity and publication bias. RESULTS: Twenty-six studies involving 1082 patients with chronic periodontitis and 980 healthy controls were analyzed. Pooled results showed lower Hb concentration (Hedges’ g = −1.16; 95% confidence intervals [CI], −1.7 to −0.62), RBC counts (Hedges’ g = −0.85; 95% CI, −1.31 to −0.38) and packed cell volume (−0.56; 95% CI, −1.02 to −0.11) in patients with chronic periodontitis. CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis showed a decreasing trend in the hematological parameters, including hemoglobin concentration, number of erythrocytes, and hematocrit in patients with chronic periodontitis compared to healthy controls.