Association between symptoms of xerostomia and dry eye in older people.

PURPOSE: To explore the association between xerostomia and dry eye symptoms in the older adult population.

METHODS

Secondary analysis of data from 627 participants (346 male, 291 female), with a mean ± SD age of 75 ± 7 years, recruited through the population-based South Australian Dental Longitudinal Study. Participants completed the validated Summated Xerostomia Inventory-Dutch Version questionnaire (SXI-D), and rated their overall frequency of dry eye symptoms at baseline.

RESULTS

Symptomatic dry eye was reported by 31% of participants, and xerostomia by 21%. A positive correlation was observed between dry eye symptoms and SXI-D scores (Spearman's rho = +0.379, p < 0.001). Overall, participants with symptomatic dry eye had higher SXI-D scores than those without (10.6 ± 3.6 vs. 8.1 ± 2.8, p < 0.001), and were more likely to report xerostomia, with an odds ratio (95% CI) of 2.25 (1.52-3.35; p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Symptoms of xerostomia and dry eye were relatively common in the cohort of older adult participants. The potentially debilitating implications of - and positive association between - the two types of sicca symptoms support the routine evaluation of xerostomia symptoms as part of the assessment of dry eye patients, and vice versa.