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


METHODS
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/mm(3) 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.
Younai
F S
FS
Section of Oral Biology and Medicine, School of Dentistry, University of California, Los Angeles 90095-1668, USA. faribay@dent.ucla.edu
Marcus
M
M
Freed
J R
JR
Coulter
I D
ID
Cunningham
W
W
Der-Martirosian
C
C
Guzman-Bercerra
N
N
Shapiro
M
M
D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000009:adverse effects; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects; D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000009:adverse effects; D016516:CD4-CD8 Ratio; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012647:Self-Assessment; D012907:Smoking; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D019562:Viral Load; D014987:Xerostomia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*
D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D000995:Antitubercular Agents