title: Primary Sjögren's syndrome impact on smell, taste, sexuality and quality of life in female patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study is to assess the impact of dryness caused by primary Sjögren's Syndrome (pSS) on smell, taste and sexual function in female patients, and its influence on quality of life.
  
  
  METHODS
  Electronic databases including MEDLINE via Ovid, Web of Science, SCOUPUS, EMBASE and COCHRANE LIBRARY were searched until April 2016. Studies that assessed the function of smell, taste and sexuality in pSS patients, defined by the American European Consensus Group (AECG) criteria. Standardized mean differences (SMD) for individual studies using random-effects meta-analysis were feasible.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Five studies incorporated 378 participants were included in the quantitative synthesis. The impact of pSS vs. healthy controls was: smell SMD -0.78 (95% CI -1.29 to -0.27); taste SMD -1.01 (95% CI -1.54 to -0.49); total sexual function SMD -0.93 (95% CI -1.22 to -0.64); physical and mental component of the quality of life SMD -1.28 (95% CI -1.65 to -0.90) and SMD -0.83 (95% CI -1.27 to -0.40) respectively; anxiety and depression SMD 0.61 (95% CI 0.02, 1.20) and SMD 0.79 (95% CI 0.43 to 1.15), respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  pSS has a negative impact on smell, taste, sexual function and quality of life in women.
authors.affiliation: a Centre for Clinical and Diagnostic Oral Sciences , Institute of Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London , London , UK.
authors.forename: Minan Y
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0432-8615
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Al-Ezzi
authors.affiliation: b Centre for Primary Care and Public Health , Blizard Institute, Queen Mary University of London , London , UK.
authors.forename: Neha
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pathak
authors.affiliation: a Centre for Clinical and Diagnostic Oral Sciences , Institute of Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London , London , UK.
authors.forename: Anwar R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Tappuni
authors.affiliation: b Centre for Primary Care and Public Health , Blizard Institute, Queen Mary University of London , London , UK.
authors.forename: Khalid S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Khan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D019529:Sexuality / Q000523:psychology*; D012859:Sjogren's Syndrome / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D012903:Smell / Q000502:physiology*; D013649:Taste / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Primary Sjögren’s syndrome; Sexual function; Smell; Taste