The Relationship Between Tooth Loss and Hypertension: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Understanding association between tooth loss and hypertension is important for improving cardiovascular health. We searched for publications that were published between July 2011 and June 2021 using three electronic databases (PubMed, EMBASE, and Scopus) and conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis on the association between tooth loss and hypertension. Quality assessments were performed using the Critical Appraisal Skills Program guideline, Newcastle–Ottawa Scale and the GRADE approach. Twenty studies (17 cross-sectional studies, and 3 cohort studies) met the inclusion criteria for this review. Most cross-sectional studies showed that subjects with more tooth loss exhibited a greater proportion of hypertension and higher systolic blood pressure than those with less tooth loss. Meta-analyses revealed a statistically significant association between tooth loss and hypertension. The pooled ORFs of hypertension for having tooth loss with no tooth loss and for edentulous with dentate were 2.22 (95% CI 2.00-2.45) and 4.94 (95% CI: 4.04–6.05), respectively. In cohort studies, subjects with more tooth loss had a greater incidence of hypertension than those with less tooth loss during the follow-up period. The present systematic review and meta-analysis suggested that tooth loss is associated with an increased risk of hypertension and higher systolic blood pressure.