Table 3.

Main findings of the included studies

		Study	Main finding
CG: control group, TG: test group, baPWV: brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity, ABI: ankle-brachial index, IMT: intima-media thickness, CD: cluster differentiation, CPC: circulating progenitor cell, PAT: peripheral arterial tone, FMD: flow-mediated dilatation, SBP: systolic blood pressure, DBP: diastolic blood pressure, EMP: endothelial micro-particule, NP: Neopterin, hs-CRP: high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, IL: interleukin, PAI: plasminogen activator inhibitor, vWF: Von Willebrand factor, TNF: tumour necrosis factor, sVCAM: soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule, sICAM: soluble intercellular adhesion molecule, TC: total cholesterol, TG: triglyceride, HDL-C: high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, LDL-C: low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, FPG: fasting plasma glucose.
Vascular function	Otherwise healthy	Ren et al, 2016 41	Significant difference in baPWV reduction in TG after 1 month (P <0.001). baPWV was significantly lower in TG than CG (P <0.05). No significant difference in the change of ABI between CG and TG. Significant correlation between the change of clinical periodontal index and change of baPWV (P <0.001), the decrease of circulin baPWV was positively correlated with the reduction in neopterin (P <0.001) in TG.
Kapellas et al, 2014 16	No significant difference in PWV values in TG. Significant difference in maximum carotid IMT reduction in TG than in CG at 12 months (P = 0.031).
Li et al, 2011 23	Significant difference circulating CD34+ cell count reduction in TG (P = 0.011). No significant differences in other subsets of CPCs counts between CG and TG. The reduction of CD34+ cell count was positively correlated with the decrease in site % with BOP (P = 0.005), site % with PD > 4 mm (P <0.001), apolipoprotein A1 (P = 0.015) and lymphocytes (P = 0.008). Neutral effect on peripheral vascular endothelial function (via PAT index) after NSPT.
With comobidity	Milanesi et al, 2022 33	No significant difference in regard to blood pressure at the 3- and 6-month visits between CG and TG.
Seinost et al, 2020 49	No significant difference in vascular inflammation reduction in either the carotid and lower leg arteries and in the aorta.
Lobo et al, 2020 28	FMD significantly improved in TG (P = 0.01) than in CG, significant difference between CG and TG (P = 0.03).
Montero et al, 2020 35	Significant difference in SBP reduction values at 3 months (P = 0.008) and in DBP values reduction at 3 and 6 months (P = 0.0019 and P = 0.009) in TG.
Saffi et al, 2018 43	No significant improvements in FMD after 3 months in TG and between CG/TG.
Zhou et al, 2017 65	Significant difference in SBP values reduction at 1, 3 and 6 months (P <0.05) and in DBP values reduction at 3 and 6 months (P<0.01) in TG. Significant difference in EMPs reduction at 3 and 6 months (P<0.01) in TG. Significant correlation between the changes (reduction) in SBP (P = 0.009), DBP (P = 0.008) and EMPs (P <0.001) at 6 months after PT.
Markers of systemic inflammation and thrombosis	Otherwise healthy	Ren et al, 2016 41	Significant difference in NP reduction (P <0.001), hs-CRP (P <0.001), and IL-6 (P <0.001) in TG at 1 month.
Caúla et al, 2014 6	Significant difference in serum CRP levels reduction only at 6 months in TG (P <0.001) and between CG/TG at 2 months (P = 0.001) and at 6 months (P <0.001). Serum CRP levels increased significantly at 2 months (P = 0.003) and at 6 months (P < 0.001) in CG.
Taylor et al, 2010 53	Significant difference in fibrinogen reduction in TG at 8 weeks. No significant difference in concentration of CRP, PAI-1 and vWF.
Kamil et al, 2011 15	Significant difference in concentration of serum CRP reduction in TG (P <0.005). There is a significantly correlation between the reduction of CRP and the reduction in PI, GI and PPD.
With comobidity	Kolte et al, 2023 19	Significant difference in increase IL-10 (P <0.0001) and in reduce TNF-α (P <0.0001) and hs-CRP (P <0.0001) in TG than in CG. There is also a significant difference between groups (P <0.0001) in all parameters.
Milanesi et al, 2022 33	No significant difference in CRP at 3- and 6- months between CG and TG.
Lobo et al, 2020 28	No statistically significant differences between baseline and 6-month values of interleukin-1B, interleukin-6 and interleukin 10 in either group.
Montero et al, 2020 35	Significant difference in serum CRP levels reduction at 3- and 6- months between CG and TG (P = 0.001 and P = 0.004). Significant difference in IL-1β (P = 0.046) and TNF-α (P = 0.037) reduction between CG and TG at 3 months only. Significant difference in TG compared to baseline in CRP (3–6 months), IL-1β (3 months), IL-8 (3 months), TNF-α (3–6 months).
Montenegro et al, 2019 34	Significant difference in the increase in serum CRP levels (patients with CRP<3mg/L at baseline) in CG (P = 0.01), compared with TG where CRP remained unchanged at 3 months. There is therefore a significant difference between CG and TG. For patients with CRP >3mg/L at baseline, there is a significant difference between CG and TG (P = 0.01) at 3 months. Significant difference in serum CRP levels reduction (patients with CRP ≥ 3 mg/L at baseline) in TG (P = 0.04), but no significant difference in CG. Significant difference in concentration IL-6 (P = 0.04) and IL-8 (P = 0.04) reduction in TG at 3 months.
Saffi et al, 2018 43	Significant difference in increase in sVCAM-1 (P = 0.03) and sICAM-1 (P = 0.03) in CG at 3 months but no significant difference in TG, resulting a significant difference between CG and TG at 3 months (P = 0.04 and P = 0.01). No significant difference in P-selectin at 3 months.
Zhou et al, 2017 65	Significant difference in hs-CRP reduction (P <0.001) at 3- and 6- months in TG and in IL-6 (P = 0.018) only at 6 months in TG.
Bokhari et al, 2012 3	Significant difference in serum CRP levels reduction at 1- and 2 months in TG (P <0.001) and between CG and TG at 1 month (P = 0.034) and 2 months (P = 0.007). Significant difference in serum fibrinogen levels reduction in TG and between CG and TG only at 2 months (P = 0.010).
Chen et al, 2012 7	Significant difference in serum hs-CRP levels reduction at 1.5- 3- and 6 months follow-up in TG 1/2 (P <0.05). No significant difference in TNF-α between TG 1/2 and CG at any follow-up.
Lipid and glucose metabolism	Otherwise healthy	Caúla et al, 2014 6	Significant difference in TC levels reduction in TG (P <0.001) and between CG and TG (P = 0.021) at 6 months. Significant difference in TG reduction at 6 months only (P = 0.015).
Kamil et al, 2011 15	No significant difference in concentration in TC, HDL-C, LDL-C and TG at 3 months follow-up in both groups.
Taylor et al, 2010 53	Significant difference in the mean total cholesterol reduction in CG at 12 weeks. HDL increases significantly in TG at 8 weeks.
With comobidity	Kolte et al, 2023 19	The mean fasting blood glucose level was statistically significant in TG (P  = 0.0001), and in CG (P = 0.008) at 6 months follow-up and between CG and TG (P <0.0001). The post-meal blood glucose levels are statistically significant in TG at 6 months (P <0.0001)and also between CG and TG (P <0.0001). HbAIc significantly decreased in TG at 6 months (P <0.0001) and between CG and TG (P <0.0001).
Montero et al, 2020 35	Significant difference in HbA1c reduction in TG compared to baseline (3 and 6 months) and between CG and TG at 3 months onlay (P = 0.013). No difference in fasting plasma glucose, TC, HDL-C and LDL-C.
Chen et al, 2012 7	HbAIc significantly decreased only in TG2 at 6 months (P <0.05). FPG significantly decreased only in TG1 at 6 months (P <0.05). No significant difference in HbA1c, FPG, lipid metabolic levels between TG 1/2 and CG at any follow-up.