Longitudinal influence of age, menopause, hormone replacement therapy, and other medications on parotid flow rates in healthy women.
BACKGROUND
Recent investigations have demonstrated that parotid salivary dysfunction is not a normal process of aging, but may be the consequence of systemic conditions and their treatment, including medications and menopause. The purpose of this study was to assess longitudinally the influence of age, menopausal status, hormone replacement therapy, and other medications on stimulated parotid flow rates (SPFRs) in healthy women.


METHODS
Medical diagnoses, menopausal status, medication utilization, and 2% citric acid stimulated parotid salivas were collected from 396 women, aged 21 to 96 years, from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health) over a 17-year span by three investigators.


RESULTS
There was no overall longitudinal effect of time on SPFR. Age at first visit was a significant predictor of a decrease in SPFR when adjusted for time and xerostomic medications. However, the deleterious effect of taking one xerostomic medication was equivalent to approximately 14 years of aging. Menopausal status and hormone replacement therapy were not consistently associated with diminished SPFR.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that menopause and hormone replacement therapy are not associated with parotid salivary dysfunction. Aging may have a statistically significant yet small deleterious influence on SPFR; however, the adverse influence of xerostomic medications is much larger.
Ghezzi
E M
EM
University of Michigan School of Dentistry, Ann Arbor 48109-1078, USA.
Wagner-Lange
L A
LA
Schork
M A
MA
Metter
E J
EJ
Baum
B J
BJ
Streckfus
C F
CF
Ship
J A
JA
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D020249:Hormone Replacement Therapy; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008593:Menopause / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010306:Parotid Gland / Q000502:physiology*; D012472:Salivation / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D012636:Secretory Rate / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology