Xerostomia, hyposalivation and oral microbiota in patients using antihypertensive medications

Oral dryness can contribute to several diseases in the oral cavity. The objective of the present study was to compare the subjective oral dryness, salivary flow rates, the number of oral microbiota, and the dental status between medicated hypertensive patients and control subjects.

Four hundred subjects including 200 ambulatory hypertensive patients who were taking antihypertensive medications and 200 control subjects were included. Each subject's medical history was reviewed. The subject's oral health status, salivary flow rate, and the number of oral microbiota were also evaluated.

The prevalence rate of xerostomia in the medicated hypertensive group was 50% whereas only 25.5% of the control group had xerostomia (p < 0.05). Using modified Schirmer test (MST), the mean unstimulated salivary flow rate of the medicated hypertensive group (23.11 +/- 6.08 mm/3 min) was significantly lower than that of the control group (31.30 +/- 3.36 mm/3 min) (p < 0.05). In addition, the mean stimulated salivary flow rate of the medicated hypertensive group (0.73 +/- 0.30 ml/min) was also significantly lower than that of the control group (1.31 +/- 0.34 mi/min) (p < 0.05). The strongest associated factor for dry mouth was the use of antihypertensive medications (OR = 6.28). The mean levels of mutans streptococci, Lactobacilli spp. and Candida spp. in the medicated hypertensive group were significantly higher than in the control group (p < 0.05). Furthermore, medicated hypertensive patients were more likely to have missing teeth compared to control subjects.

Xerostomia, hyposalivation, and increasing number of oral microbiota were more prevalent in hypertensive patients taking antihypertensive medications.