title: Relationship of lumbar spine bone mineral density and oral dryness feeling in menopause.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aims of this study were to compare lumbar spine bone mineral density (BMD) of postmenopausal women with or without oral dryness (OD) feeling and to evaluate the relationship between BMD and severity of OD feeling.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study conducted at the Clinic of Oral Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences was carried out on 60 selected postmenopausal women aged 45 to 79 years with or without OD feeling (30 as case, 30 as control). Xerostomia inventory score was used as an index of OD feeling severity. The BMD was measured by a dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry system. Statistical analysis using the Student's t test and Spearman correlation coefficient was performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean lumbar spine BMD was significantly lower in case than in control women. There was a significant negative correlation between xerostomia inventory score and BMD in postmenopausal women (r = -0.334, P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It seems that postmenopausal women who lose BMD may experience OD feeling.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Medicine/Dental Research Center, School of Dentistry, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. aghahose@sina.tums.ac.ir
authors.forename: Farzaneh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Agha-Hosseini
authors.forename: Iraj
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Mirzaii-Dizgah
authors.forename: Mahdieh-Sadat
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Moosavi
mesh_terms: D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015519:Bone Density; D001851:Bone Diseases, Metabolic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D008593:Menopause; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016387:Women's Health; D014987:Xerostomia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*