Background: A high detection rate of diabetes among dental visitors has been reported recently. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the association between periodontitis and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels among non-diabetic individuals.
Methods: The EMBASE, MEDLINE, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, PubMed, and Open GREY databases were searched, and observational studies published until 1st June 2023 were identified. A methodological quality assessment was conducted based on the original and modified versions of the Newcastle-Ottawa scale. Cohort, case-control, and cross-sectional studies that performed clinical periodontal examinations and measured HbA1c levels in non-diabetic adults were included. A meta-analysis was conducted to estimate the weighted mean difference (WMD) between individuals with and without periodontitis.
Results: In total, 29 case-control and 5 cross-sectional studies were selected from 2583 potentially eligible articles. Among them, sixteen case-control and three cross-sectional studies with moderate to high quality were selected for the meta-analyses. The HbA1c levels in periodontitis patients were significantly higher than those in individuals with healthy periodontal conditions (WMD = 0.16; p < 0.001) among the non-diabetic populations.
Conclusions: This study reveals a significant association between periodontitis and HbA1c levels in non-diabetic populations. Thus, HbA1c screening may be recommended to detect potential hyperglycemia in non-diabetic periodontitis patients.
Keywords: HbA1c; diabetes mellitus; early diagnosis; hyperglycemia; meta-analysis; periodontitis; systematic review.