Scholarlink

Background <p>Dry mouth is a common and burdensome condition in older adults and its severity may increase with use of anticholinergic medications. The aims were to describe anticholinergic medication use among acutely ill older adults, examine the association between anticholinergic burden and dry mouth severity using the composite Dry Mouth Severity Points (DMSP) measure and investigate whether the association differs by sex.</p> Methods <p>Patients ≥70 years admitted to Oslo municipal inpatient acute care unit were eligible. Anticholinergic burden (ACB) was assessed using the ACB calculator and classified as 0, lower (ACB = 1–2) or high (ACB = ≥ 3). Dry mouth severity was quantified with DMSP, range 0–4, assigning one point for each indicator above cut-off: General Xerostomia Question ≥ 3, Summated Xerostomia Inventory ≥ 11, Clinical Oral Dryness Score ≥ 6 and unstimulated whole saliva secretion rate ≤ 0.1 mL/min. Associations were examined with ordinal logistic regression.</p> Results <p>Of 382 examined patients, 256 (mean age 84 ± 7 years, 70% women) had complete data. Mean [standard deviation (SD)] ACB score was 2.0 (1.7); 18% had ACB = 0, 50% had ACB = 1–2 and 32% had ACB = ≥ 3. DMSP scores of 0, 1, 2 and ≥ 3 were present in 29%, 36%, 23% and 12%, respectively.</p> <p>Compared with patients with ACB = 0, those with ACB = 1–2 [odds ratio (OR) = 2.06, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.07–3.97) and ACB = ≥ 3 (OR = 2.25, 95% CI 1.09–4.63) had higher odds of more severe dry mouth. Women had significantly higher ACB and DMSP scores than men.</p> Conclusions <p>Even lower anticholinergic burden was associated with greater dry mouth severity, highlighting the need for early recognition and proactive management in acutely ill older adults.</p> Graphical Abstract <p></p>

错误：搜索内容不能为空，请输入英文关键词
错误：关键词超出字数限制，请精简
高级检索

Association Between Anticholinergic Burden and Dry Mouth Severity in Acutely Ill Older Adults

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

    开放获取

  • 发表日期：

    2026年3月13日

查看全文
  • Ingrid Beate Ringstad,
  • Eva Skovlund,
  • Leonor Roa Santervas,
  • Hege Kersten,
  • Katrine Gahre Fjeld,
  • Lene Hystad Hove,
  • Torgeir Bruun Wyller,
  • Janicke Liaaen Jensen,
  • Rita Romskaug

摘要

Background

Dry mouth is a common and burdensome condition in older adults and its severity may increase with use of anticholinergic medications. The aims were to describe anticholinergic medication use among acutely ill older adults, examine the association between anticholinergic burden and dry mouth severity using the composite Dry Mouth Severity Points (DMSP) measure and investigate whether the association differs by sex.

Methods

Patients ≥70 years admitted to Oslo municipal inpatient acute care unit were eligible. Anticholinergic burden (ACB) was assessed using the ACB calculator and classified as 0, lower (ACB = 1–2) or high (ACB = ≥ 3). Dry mouth severity was quantified with DMSP, range 0–4, assigning one point for each indicator above cut-off: General Xerostomia Question ≥ 3, Summated Xerostomia Inventory ≥ 11, Clinical Oral Dryness Score ≥ 6 and unstimulated whole saliva secretion rate ≤ 0.1 mL/min. Associations were examined with ordinal logistic regression.

Results

Of 382 examined patients, 256 (mean age 84 ± 7 years, 70% women) had complete data. Mean [standard deviation (SD)] ACB score was 2.0 (1.7); 18% had ACB = 0, 50% had ACB = 1–2 and 32% had ACB = ≥ 3. DMSP scores of 0, 1, 2 and ≥ 3 were present in 29%, 36%, 23% and 12%, respectively.

Compared with patients with ACB = 0, those with ACB = 1–2 [odds ratio (OR) = 2.06, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.07–3.97) and ACB = ≥ 3 (OR = 2.25, 95% CI 1.09–4.63) had higher odds of more severe dry mouth. Women had significantly higher ACB and DMSP scores than men.

Conclusions

Even lower anticholinergic burden was associated with greater dry mouth severity, highlighting the need for early recognition and proactive management in acutely ill older adults.

Graphical Abstract