Self-reported oral dryness and HIV disease in a national sample of patients receiving medical care

• Published in: Oral surgery, oral medicine, oral pathology, oral radiology and endodontics oral medicine, oral pathology, oral radiology and endodontics, 2001-12, Vol.92 (6), p.629-636
• Main Authors: Younai, Fariba S., Marcus, Marvin, Freed, James R., Coulter, Ian D., Cunningham, William, Der-Martirosian, Claudia, Guzman-Bercerra, Norma, Shapiro, Martin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adjuvants, Immunologic - adverse effects; Adolescent; Adult; Analysis of Variance; Antibiotics. Antiinfectious agents. Antiparasitic agents; Antidepressive Agents - adverse effects; Antitubercular Agents - adverse effects; Antiviral agents; Biological and medical sciences; CD4-CD8 Ratio; Cohort Studies; Female; Hispanic Americans - statistics & numerical data; HIV Infections - complications; HIV Infections - drug therapy; Humans; Logistic Models; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Non tumoral diseases; Odds Ratio; Otorhinolaryngology. Stomatology; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Self-Assessment; Smoking; United States - epidemiology; Upper respiratory tract, upper alimentary tract, paranasal sinuses, salivary glands: diseases, semeiology; Viral Load; Xerostomia - epidemiology; Xerostomia - etiology
• ISSN: 1079-2104; 1528-395X
• DOI: 10.1067/moe.2001.117816

Objectives: We sought to analyze the relationship between self-reported oral dryness and the demographic, enabling, behavioral, clinical, and treatment characteristics among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)–positive patients in medical care. Study Design: The study group consisted of the HIV Cost and Services Utilization Study cohort, a nationally representative probability sample of HIV-infected adults receiving medical care in the contiguous United States. Results: It was estimated that 29% of adults (64,947 individuals) with HIV infection receiving medical care in the United States have a complaint of dry mouth. A multivariate logistic analysis was carried out to explore the association between several covariates and dry mouth. It was shown that compared with whites, individuals of Hispanic ethnic origin were 61% more likely to report dry mouth (OR, 1.61; 95% CI, 1.04-2.50; P =.04). Those who were unemployed were 55% more likely to report the symptom of dry mouth than were subjects who were employed (OR, 1.55; 95% CI, 1.22-1.98; P =.001). In comparison with nonsmokers, current smokers were 36% more likely to report dry mouth (OR, 1.36; 95% CI, 1.04-1.79;P =.03). The use of antidepressant drugs and antituberculosis/anti–Mycobacterium avium (anti-TB/anti-MAC) medications had the strongest association with dry mouth complaint. Those taking antidepressants were 55% more likely to report dry mouth (OR, 1.55; 95% CI, 1.23-1.97; P =.0001); compared with nonusers, patients receiving anti-TB/MAC drugs were 46% more likely to report dry mouth (OR, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.03-2.06; P =.04]. In comparison with those with undetectable viral load, individuals with a viral load of more than 100,000/mm3 were 151% more likely to report dry mouth (OR, 2.51; 95% CI,1.58-3.96; P =.0001). Conclusions: Our findings suggest that optimizing viral suppression, smoking cessation, and tailoring antidepressant and anti-TB/MAC medications may be promising interventions to decrease dry-mouth symptoms among HIV-infected individuals. (Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod 2001;92:629-36)