PREVALENCE OF PERCEIVED SYMPTOMS OF DRY MOUTH IN AN ADULT SWEDISH POPULATION - RELATION TO AGE, SEX AND PHARMACOTHERAPY

The aim of the study was to evaluate the prevalence of subjective perc eption of dry mouth in an adult population and to determine the preval ence of pharmacotherapy in this population. An additional aim was to a ssess a possible co-morbidity between symptoms of dry mouth and contin uing pharmacotherapy. Four-thousand-two-hundred persons were selected at random from the national census register of the adult population of the southern part of the province of Halland, Sweden, The sample was stratified according to age and sex, and 300 men and an equal number o f women aged 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70 and 80, were included, A newly dev eloped questionnaire was mailed to each individual. In addition to que stions about subjective perception of dry mouth, the subjects were ask ed to report on present diseases and continuing pharmacotherapy. Three -thousand-three-hundred and thirteen (80.5%) evaluable questionnaires were returned. The estimated prevalence of xerostomia in the populatio n was 21.3% and 27.3% for men and women, respectively. This difference between the sexes was statistically significant, In non-medicated sub jects, women tended to report a higher prevalence of xerostomia compar ed with men, 18.8% vs. 14.6%, and also among medicated subjects the es timated prevalence of dry mouth was higher for women than for men, 32. 5% vs. 28.4%. There was a strong association between xerostomia and in creasing age and also between xerostomia and continuing pharmacotherap y, The average prevalence of dry mouth among medicated and nonmedicate d subjects was 32.1% and 16.9%, respectively, the difference being sta tistically significant. There was also a strong association between xe rostomia and the number of medications. In a logistic regression, the probability of reporting mouth dryness was significantly greater in ol der subjects and in women, and the probability increased with the numb er of medications taken. In conclusion, this epidemiological survey of an adult population has demonstrated that women, independent of age, do report a higher prevalence of xerostomia than men and that the symp tom of dry mouth is strongly associated with age and pharmacotherapy. It is, however, not possible to discriminate between disease and pharm acotherapy as causal factors.