The underlying relationship between exercise and the prevalence of periodontitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background Although exercise has been proposed as an effective intervention for various lifestyle-related diseases and pathological scenarios, few researches assessed the impact of taking exercise on the prevalence of periodontitis. Purpose This study aimed to perform a comprehensive literature review and meta-analysis from both observational and intervention studies to explore the relationship between exercise and periodontitis and to provide references for future intervention programs aimed at preventing periodontitis. Method A systematic literature search was conducted in PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Scopus for peer-reviewed studies published in English From January 1993 to January 2023 according to the PRISMA guidelines. Articles were selected if subjects were human and studies evaluating the association between exercise and periodontitis. Results 4098 references were retrieved. After screening the results, 30 studies were selected. Of these, 20 studies indicated an inverse association between exercise and periodontitis, while the remaining 10 did not reach conclusive findings. The meta-analysis demonstrated a risk ratio of 0.84 (95%CI: 0.77, 0.91) between the active group and the inactive group (P < 0.01), which indicated an inverse relationship between exercise and periodontitis. Conclusion Overall, the increase in exercise presents an inverse association with the presence and severity of periodontitis. Accordingly, taking exercise might be a potential approach that contributes to improvements in periodontitis.