Risk of Hyposalivation in Menopausal Patients

Abstract

Background and aim: Hyposalivation is one of the most common complications during menopause, which affects the quality of life. The aim of the present study was to assess the correlation between menopause and salivary flow rate. Materials and methods: This historical-cohort study was conducted on 80 healthy women. Forty postmenopausal women were placed in the case group, while 40 premenopausal women were selected as the control group. The participants were selected from among non-smokers and non-alcoholics and had no systemic diseases. The saliva level of the participants was measured by using the Modified Schirmer’s Test (MST) and modified Fox questionnaire. The participants were asked to sit upright, swallow their saliva and hold up their tongue. A strip was placed on the floor of the mouth, and the length of the wet and discolored area on the strip was measured after 3 minutes. Data were analyzed using SPSS 22 according to Mann-U-Whitney and Chi-square tests. Results: According to the MST, the prevalence of hyposalivation was 35% in premenopausal women and 65% in postmenopausal women, with a statistically significant difference between the two groups (P<0.001). According to the modified Fox questionnaire, the prevalence of normal salivary flow and mild xerostomia in premenopausal women was 90%, while this rate was equal to 62.5% in postmenopausal women. The prevalence of severe xerostomia was 15% in postmenopausal women, while none of the premenopausal subjects had severe xerostomia. The incidence of hyposalivation in postmenopausal women is significantly higher than that in premenopausal women (P<0.005). Conclusion: It seems that the unstimulated salivary flow rate decreases after menopause.