title: Salivary gland function and aging: a model for studying the interaction of aging and systemic disease.
abstract: This review describes an approach to examining the interaction of aging and systemic disease on a key aspect of oral physiology, salivation. The approach requires several steps: defining general health, and a specific physiological function, at different ages; defining a disease of interest and the influence of the disease on the specific physiological function; and determining if the disease can affect performance of the physiological function with increased age.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Investigations and Patient Care Branch, National Institute of Dental Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Baum
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Ship
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D004194:Disease; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D012466:Salivary Gland Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology; D012469:Salivary Glands / Q000502:physiology*