title: Prevalence of Drug-Induced Xerostomia in Older Adults with Cognitive Impairment or Dementia: An Observational Study.
abstract: Older adults, especially those with cognitive impairment or dementia, frequently consume drugs with potential xerostomic effects that impair their quality of life and oral health.
  
  
  
  The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence and analyze the possible pharmacological etiology of xerostomia in older people with or without cognitive impairment.
  
  
  
  Individuals with cognitive impairment were recruited from patients diagnosed using standardized criteria in two neurology departments in Southern Spain. A comparison group was recruited from healthcare centers in the same city after ruling out cognitive impairment. Data on oral health, xerostomia, and drug consumption were recorded in both groups. Dry mouth was evaluated using a 1-item questionnaire and recording clinical signs of oral dryness. All drugs consumed by the participants were recorded, including memantine, anticholinesterases, antipsychotics, antidepressants, and anxiolytics.
  
  
  
  The final sample comprised 200 individuals with mild cognitive impairment or dementia and 156 without. Xerostomia was present in 70.5 % of participants with cognitive impairment versus 36.5 % of those without, regardless of the drug consumed. Memantine consumption was the only variable significantly related to xerostomia in the multivariate model (OR 3.1; 95 % CI 1.1-8.7), and this relationship persisted after adjusting for possible confounders and forcing the inclusion of drugs with xerostomic potential.
  
  
  
  More than 70 % of participants diagnosed with cognitive impairment or dementia had xerostomia. Anticholinesterases and memantine were both associated with the presence of xerostomia. In the case of memantine, this association was independent of the consumption of the other drugs considered.
authors.affiliation: Bio-Health Research Institute of Granada, School of Dentistry, Granada, Spain. jagil@ugr.es.|Facultad de Odontología, Universidad de Granada, c/ Paseo de Cartuja s/n, 18071, Granada, Spain. jagil@ugr.es.
authors.forename: José Antonio
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Gil-Montoya
authors.affiliation: Bio-Health Research Institute of Granada, School of Dentistry, Granada, Spain.
authors.forename: Rocío
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Barrios
authors.affiliation: Bio-Health Research Institute of Granada, School of Dentistry, Granada, Spain.
authors.forename: Inés
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Lara
authors.affiliation: Neurology Department, Virgen de las Nieves University Hospital, Granada, Spain.
authors.forename: Cristobal
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Carnero-Pardo
authors.affiliation: Unit of Clinical Management Oro-Dental Health Granada-Metropolitan, Granada, Spain.
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fornieles-Rubio
authors.affiliation: Neurology Department, "San Cecilio" University Hospital, Granada, Spain.
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Montes
authors.affiliation: Bio-Health Research Institute of Granada, School of Dentistry, Granada, Spain.
authors.forename: Miguel Angel
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Gonzalez-Moles
authors.affiliation: Bio-Health Research Institute of Granada, School of Dentistry, Granada, Spain.
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bravo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002491:Central Nervous System Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003704:Dementia / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008559:Memantine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015995:Prevalence; D011788:Quality of Life; D013030:Spain; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014987:Xerostomia / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D002491:Central Nervous System Agents; D008559:Memantine