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Objective: Many studies have investigated the relationship between periodontal and cardiovascular diseases but their results are heterogeneous. Meta-analyses were conducted to examine the association between exposure to periodontitis and cardiovascular diseases. Material and methods: Studies published between 1989 and 2007 were retrieved from seven databases. The included articles reported the results from observational studies (cohort, cross-sectional and case-control studies) and assessed the link between periodontal exposure and cardiovascular diseases as confirmed by one of the following criteria: diagnosed coronary artery disease, angina pectoris, acute myocardial infarction, mortality caused by cardiac pathology. The study characteristics were abstracted by independent researchers following a standardised protocol. The MOOSE guidelines for meta-analysis of observational studies were …